‘Aluminium Loop’ Showcases Thailand’s First Closed-Loop Aluminium Packaging Recycling Innovation

Aluminium Loop revolutionizes the aluminium packaging recycling with Thailand's first Closed Loop recycling system

In an era where a circular economy is essential to tackling global environmental issues and challenges, Aluminium Loop recognises the importance of revolutionising the recycling cycle of aluminium packaging in Thailand. By developing a closed-loop recycling system for aluminium cans and bottles—covering the entire process from upstream to downstream—the initiative ensures that recycling is effortless and infinitely feasible within the country. The quality of the recycled aluminium packaging remains unchanged, reducing environmental impact while simultaneously fostering sustainable economic growth.

Aluminium Loop was founded by Mr. Pavin Chayavivatkul, who possesses in-depth knowledge of the infrastructure of the aluminium packaging industry. In his role as Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Thai Beverage Can Ltd. (TBC), a leading aluminium packaging manufacturer in Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability—an emerging global business standard.

With this dedication, he initiated the Aluminium Loop project, driven by a vision that aluminium packaging should not only serve as an environmentally friendly, recyclable solution but also evolve into a fully functional circular economy model. This ambition led to the research and development of a comprehensive aluminium packaging recycling system.

At present, only four countries in Asia are capable of implementing such a system domestically. Thailand stands out as one of them, thanks to its well-established infrastructure that supports closed-loop recycling. Additionally, the initiative has fostered collaborations with key partners, accelerating Aluminium Loop’s goal of creating, driving, and expanding the world’s most sustainable aluminium packaging recycling cycle, including:

Packaging Manufacturer — Thai Beverage Can Ltd. (TBC): As the largest aluminium packaging manufacturer in Thailand and ASEAN, TBC leverages cutting-edge production technology through its collaboration with Ball Corporation, a leading global aluminium packaging manufacturer from the United States. This partnership enables the company to drive a truly sustainable recycling loop within the aluminium packaging industry.
Collection Provider — Thai Beverage Recycle Co., Ltd. (TBR): TBR plays a key role in collecting used aluminium packaging across Thailand. The recycling of aluminium packaging also serves as a valuable source of income for independent waste collectors, as the material commands a relatively high buy-back value compared to other packaging types. This ensures efficient collection, fostering a strong recycling culture nationwide.
Recycling Processor — Anglo Asia (Trading) Co., Ltd.: Anglo Asia (Trading) employs innovative aluminium packaging recycling processes that involve cleaning, paint removal, and shredding, transforming used aluminium packaging into compressed recycled aluminium for reuse.
Raw Material Producer — UACJ (Thailand) Co., Ltd.: UACJ (Thailand) is responsible for converting recycled aluminium into new raw material. This process includes melting, casting into ingots, rolling into sheets, and supplying aluminium coils for the production of sustainable and environmentally friendly aluminium packaging.

The entire process can be carried out within a 400-kilometre radius—one of the shortest distances in the world. This ensures a seamless and efficient operation throughout the supply chain while significantly reducing the environmental impact of transportation. Additionally, it helps save financial costs, time, and resources.

Why Closed-Loop Recycling?

Closed-loop recycling stands out for its ability to return materials to their original form, allowing them to be reused indefinitely. Aluminium packaging can be recycled into new aluminium packaging an unlimited number of times. This is due to aluminium’s unique property of being able to be melted down and reformed into raw material without any loss in quality. Moreover, there is no need to alter the material’s composition, which helps conserve resources and reduces energy consumption in production by over 95%. This, in turn, leads to a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, creating an efficient, environmentally friendly, and truly sustainable aluminium packaging recycling cycle.

In comparison, open-loop recycling repurposing materials into new products is different from their original form—such as turning aluminium cans into car parts or furniture. While this extends the lifespan of aluminium materials, it also requires the addition of new resources and increased energy consumption to adapt the material for its new purpose. This may disrupt the sustainability cycle that Aluminium Loop prioritises and seeks to promote among consumers by encouraging a correct understanding of the recycling process.

Closed-loop recycling is recognised globally as the highest standard of recycling and represents the most complete and sustainable system in the world.

A Sustainable Future Goal

Aluminium Loop has been in operation for three years. Throughout the project, more than one billion used aluminium packages have been collected and recycled. In 2025, the initiative aims to increase the collection of used aluminium packaging by 800 million units, with a long-term goal of five billion units. This would encompass the entire volume of aluminium packaging used in Thailand, ensuring it enters an efficient and sustainable recycling system.

At the same time, the initiative is committed to enhancing the sustainability of aluminium packaging across multiple dimensions. A key step forward is the upcoming launch of the Aluminium Solar project, which will introduce aluminium packaging produced using solar energy. This initiative is part of the commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions for aluminium packaging in the future.

Additionally, Aluminium Loop seeks to encourage its partners to increase their use of renewable energy and to develop new technologies and innovations that further reduce carbon emissions throughout the entire process.

aluminiumloop

Aluminium Loop ตราสัญลักษณ์ที่จะแสดงให้ผู้บริโภคได้ตระหนักถึงกระป๋องอลูมิเนียมบรรจุภัณฑ์รักษ์โลกที่สามารถรีไซเคิลได้อย่างไม่รู้จบ และทำได้อย่างครบวงจรในลักษณะวงจรปิด (Closed loop recycling) ในประเทศไทย