A major challenge hindering aluminium can recycling in South Korea is the public’s limited awareness of their infinite recyclability. 

Novelis Korea, the local branch of the world’s leading aluminium recycler, revealed the results of a survey indicating that 57.4% of 1,012 participants were unaware that aluminium cans can be endlessly recycled. The study also highlighted that recycling aluminium cuts carbon emissions by 95% compared to producing new aluminium from raw bauxite.

The survey, conducted in collaboration with the Seoul Korea Federation for Environmental Movements, coincided with Global Recycling Day, observed on March 18. The findings suggest that the lack of awareness may be influencing consumer preferences, with many opting for plastic bottles over aluminium cans, glass bottles, or paper cartons. 

However, 84.1% of respondents said they would prioritise aluminium-packaged beverages if they knew about the material’s infinite recyclability.

Novelis Korea emphasised that aluminium can be recycled indefinitely without losing its quality, unlike plastic and certain metals that degrade with repeated processing. Remarkably, used cans can be recycled and returned to store shelves as new cans in just 60 days. Despite this, only about 30% of the aluminium cans collected in Korea are recycled into new cans. The company attributed this to ineffective sorting processes, which lower the quality of the recycled material. As a result, many cans are downcycled into inferior aluminium products or repurposed as deoxidisers in steel manufacturing.

The survey underscored the need for public education campaigns to promote aluminium recycling. When asked if they would prefer products packaged in aluminium cans made from over 80% recycled material, 89.1% of respondents said they would. Additionally, 88.1% expressed a willingness to separate aluminium cans for recycling, despite the inconvenience. Furthermore, 89.6% said they would use nearby reverse vending machines for aluminium can returns.

Support for a can deposit system was also strong, with 80% of respondents in favour. Regarding the appropriate deposit amount, 32.8% preferred 50 won ($0.04), followed by 27.6% who chose 30 won, 26.8% favouring 100 won, and 12.8% opting for 10 won.