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Did you know?

Beverage cans are made of aluminium (75% of worldwide production) or tin-plated steel
(25% worldwide production). Worldwide production for all beverage cans is approximately
370 billion cans per year worldwide.

Most metal beverage cans manufactured in the United States are made of aluminium,
whereas in some parts of Europe and Asia approximately 55 percent are made of steel and
45 percent are aluminium alloy. Steel cans often have a top made of aluminium. The
aluminium used in United States and Canada are alloys containing 92.5% to 97%
aluminium, <5.5% magnesium, <1.6% manganese, <0.15% chromium and some trace
amounts of iron, silicon and copper according to MSDS from aluminium producer Alcoa.
Alloys used include 3004, 3105, or other 3xxx/5xxx series aluminium.

An empty aluminium can weighs approximately half an ounce (14.2 grams). There are 34
empty 12-ounce aluminium cans to a pound or 70 to a kilogram.

In many parts of the world a deposit can be recovered by turning in empty plastic, glass,
and aluminium containers. Scrap metal dealers often purchase aluminium cans in bulk, even
when deposits are not offered. Aluminium is one of the most cost-effective materials to
recycle. When recycled without other metals being mixed in, the can–lid combination is
perfect for producing new stock for the main part of the can—the loss of magnesium during
melting is made up for by the high magnesium content of the lid. Also, reducing ores such
as bauxite into aluminium requires large amounts of electricity, making recycling cheaper
than producing new metal.

Aluminium cans are coated internally to protect the aluminium from oxidizing. Despite this
coating, trace amounts of aluminium can be degraded into the liquid, the amount depending
on factors such as storage temperature and liquid composition. Chemical compounds used
in the internal coating of the can include types of epoxy resin.

In order to achieve primary aluminium for manufacturing, bauxite is converted to alumina
through the Bayer process. After this process, aluminium can be extracted from alumina.
Subsequently, it goes through a process called aluminium smelting and ingot casting.
Simply, these two stages require alumina to undergo an extremely hot temperature and
high-energy bath. Following this process is hot rolling and cold rolling. This is ultimately
done to cast the aluminium can into shape for further processing. Finally, the process of
“ironing” is performed which forms the shape of the can.

The first commercial beer available in cans began in 1935 in Richmond, Virginia. Not long
after that, sodas, with their higher acidity and somewhat higher pressures, were available in
cans. The key development for storing beverages in cans was the interior liner, typically
plastic or sometimes a waxy substance, that helped to keep the product's flavor from being
ruined by a chemical reaction with the metal. Another major factor for the timing was the
repeal of Prohibition in the United States at the end of 1933.

In 1935, the Felinfoel Brewery at Felinfoel in Wales was the first brewery outside the USA to
commercially can beer. Prior to this time, beer was only available in barrels or in glass
bottles. From this time, lightweight tin cans could be used. Felinfoel was a major supplier to
British armed forces abroad in the Second World War - cans saved a great deal of space and
weight for wartime exports compared to glass bottles and did not have to be returned for
refilling. These early cans did not have a pull tab, instead they had a crown cork (beer

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