At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), RUSAL, one of the world’s largest aluminium producers, signed a strategic agreement with a beverage producer, an aluminium packaging manufacturer and a leading Russian retailer.
This collaboration aims to develop circular economy initiatives specifically for aluminium packaging, aligning with national environmental priorities and the sustainability goals of all partners involved.
Through this partnership, the companies have introduced Russia’s first beverage packaged in an aluminium can with an ultra-low carbon footprint. The project is unprecedented in Russia, encompassing the entire production process from raw material extraction to the delivery of finished products to store shelves.
RUSAL supplied low-carbon aluminium containing recycled metal, which was processed into aluminium strips and subsequently transformed into beverage cans by Russia’s leading packaging manufacturer. A beverage manufacturer created a special non-alcoholic energy drink flavour specifically for this innovative packaging. The product is already available in one of Russia’s largest retail chains, ensuring easy accessibility to consumers.
“For the first time in Russia, we have produced metal for beverage cans using all available decarbonization methods: low-carbon primary aluminium, recycled aluminium scrap, and ALLOW INERTA — our proprietary low-carbon aluminium. This achievement required innovative solutions from our metallurgists at Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Smelter as well as RUSAL’s R&D specialists. We continue actively developing green products, including primary alloys with recycled content. Alongside our partners, we are advancing the circular economy in Russia, demonstrating end-to-end collaboration and ensuring complete transparency in tracking the carbon footprint,” RUSAL CEO Evgenii Nikitin said.
RUSAL continues to expand its range of low-carbon products under the ALLOW brand. The aluminium used in the new beverage can was produced with revolutionary inert anode technology—ALLOW INERTA—and contains more than 50% recycled aluminium. When combined with renewable hydropower, this approach reduces the product’s carbon footprint by more than half compared to conventional methods.
Using at least 50% recycled aluminium sets a robust industry benchmark. Aluminium scrap has a near-zero carbon footprint, substantially reducing the emissions of the final product. Through this project, the carbon footprint of the aluminium used was reduced by more than half, achieving a reduction of nearly 4 tons of CO₂-equivalent per ton of aluminium.
Aluminium cans are recognized globally as sustainable packaging due to their 100% recyclability and the ability to undergo infinite recycling without property degradation. The high recovery rate of aluminium from waste streams makes it an ideal choice for responsible manufacturers. The partners reaffirm their commitment to sustainable practices by adopting low-carbon production technologies and consistently increasing the use of recycled materials. This project demonstrates that aluminium packaging can combine consumer appeal with minimal environmental impact, meeting global trends in resource efficiency and ESG transformation goals.
Beyond launching products in low-carbon aluminium packaging, the partnership plans to expand the use of recycled aluminium and pursue additional initiatives. These include promoting separate waste collection and recycling, introducing sustainable solutions at retail points, advocating eco-friendly practices within industry forums, and launching joint educational programs to reduce environmental impacts.