Vietnam's Aluminum Can Recovery at 93%, But Closed-Loop Recycling Stagnates at 1%

Published: Oct 22, 2026 16:43 (GMT+8)

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[SMM Aluminum Express News] Vietnam's aluminum can recovery rate reaches 93%, but closed-loop recycling remains at just 1%. According to data presented by TBC-Ball Vietnam at a recent packaging industry workshop, approximately 93% of aluminum is recovered in Vietnam, while only 1% of aluminum cans are recycled into new cans. Around 79% of collected materials originate from the informal sector, highlighting challenges in scrap sorting, quality control and traceability. TBC-Ball Vietnam, a joint venture between Thai Beverage Can and Ball Corporation, is promoting closed-loop aluminum recycling to improve resource efficiency and reduce reliance on primary aluminum. The company is collaborating with the Southern Institute of Ecology and other stakeholders to develop an aluminum can collection and recycling model in Con Dao. According to TBC-Ball, recycling aluminum can save approximately 95% of the energy required for primary aluminum production. Improving closed-loop recycling could strengthen Vietnam's secondary aluminum supply chain and reduce demand for primary aluminum in beverage packaging. However, no new recycling capacity or investment value was disclosed.

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