Circularity has become part of the public mindset, according to an international study commissioned by Every Can Counts that was conducted across 16 countries and more than 16,000 participants. At the same time, deposit return systems (DRS) â also known as recycling refunds â are Americansâ chosen path to make circularity a reality.
58% of Americans surveyed said they support DRS, with global support even stronger. 71% of people around the world expressed support for DRS, with trust higher, as 88% believe containers returned through these systems are effectively recycled. The results of these program drives this support. Aluminum beverage cans sold in the United States with a deposit have a 75% recycling rate, while aluminum beverage cans sold without a deposit have a 37% recycling rate. Globally, many DRS systems consistently deliver recycling rates above 90%.
âDeposit return systems are an effective, common-sense approach to incentivize Americans to recycle used aluminum beverage cans,â said Scott Breen, president of Can Manufacturers Institute, lead organizer of the Every Can Counts U.S. chapter. âNot only does data from the United States and many countries around the world with active recycling DRS programs prove they are effective, but they are also universally popular. We hope more lawmakers will recognize and implement these programs as part of necessary reforms for recyclingâ
The Every Can Counts study reinforces a 2022 survey of American voters, which showed overwhelming support for DRS programs. Currently 10 states, plus Guam, use DRS programs and support among residents in these states was 90%.
Half of global survey respondents associate circular packaging with being recycled back into the same type of product repeatedly, and only 43% with being reusable. At the same time, 57% define recyclable packaging as âdesigned for circularity,â showing that the concept resonates with consumers. âCircularity doesnât have to be complex,â said David Van Heuverswyn, global director of Every Can Counts. âInfinitely recyclable and already widely collected, aluminum cans are proof that truly circular packaging is possible. Whatâs missing is awareness.â
Meanwhile, 87% agree that, to protect the environment, all single-use drink packaging â from beverage cans to glass and PET bottles â should be included. ÌýThe context is urgent: Nine in ten people worldwide see plastic waste as a key environmental issue, on par with climate change. Yet this is not just an environmental sentiment, itâs a behavioral decision. The findings reveal that convenience and incentives are key to influencing change in recycling habits. 71% even support adjusting deposit fees by container size, showing a clear preference for fair, impactful solutions.
Baby Boomers Convinced, Gen Z Needs ConvincingÌý
Support for DRS rises steadily with age: 59% among Gen Z, 67% among Millennials, 74% among Gen X, and 80% among Baby Boomers. This suggests near consensus among older generations, while younger audiences see promise but want education and targeted engagement to build buy-in.
Bridging the Awareness GapÌý
The study positions DRS as more than a collection mechanism â a bridge between consumer behavior and true circularity, while revealing an awareness gap. Only 17% of people identify aluminum beverage cans as âthe most recyclableâ beverage packaging, even though the can is the most recycled beverage container in the world, with a 71% global recycling rate, compared with 34% for glass and 40% for PET. According to the same analysis, aluminum cans also have a 33% closed-loop recycling rate (i.e., can-to-can recycling), the highest among single-use beverage containers. Notably, the closed-loop recycling rate in the United States is 97%.
âAs DRS adoption expands, its high-quality, low-contamination collection will further increase aluminumâs recycling performance, keeping valuable material in circulation, enabling more drink cans to be recycled into new ones, and preventing the 29% still lost to landfill each year,â said Alexandra Williams, chair of Every Can Counts.ÌýÌý
People Recycle More When It Feels RewardingÌý
Beyond policy and material performance, the survey confirms that experience matters. 71% of respondents say they would recycle more if the process were fun or interactive, highlighting that engagement is the missing piece in waste management systems.
“The data show what we see at Every Can Counts every day: people do care, they just want to feel part of the change and understand why true recycling matters,â added David Van Heuverswyn. Deposit Return Systems are the start, not the finish, and Every Can Counts is working across 21 countries to keep educating consumers about the remarkable sustainability credentials of the aluminum drink can.â