PET Food Processing - September 2021 - 72

RESEARCH
US PET
FOOD
MAKERS'
ANNUAL
CAN USAGE
7 billion metal
food cans
25% steel
(typically for
dog food)
75% aluminum
(typically for
cat food)
Can Manufacturers Institute
To better understand the factors contributing to
or hindering recycling of pet food cans, the Pet
Food Institute (PFI) funded a study that examined
the fate of aluminum and steel pet food
cans in the recycling system. We're excited to
share some of these important findings, which
will help pet owners, pet food makers and their
packaging partners better understand the recycling
process for pet food cans, as well as ways to
increase pet food can recycling.
Wet food and treats are
increasingly part of the
pet diet mix as either
stand-alone completeand-balanced
meals,
meal toppers, mix-ins
or pour-overs, with
many of these formats
delivered in cans.
Sosland Publishing Co.
Study overview
To gain insight into the can recycling process, the consultancy
Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) conducted interviews
with recycling industry leaders across the country.
The research included extensive interviews with different
material recovery facilities (MRFs) and end markets. MRFs
are the facilities that sort single-stream recyclable materials
and sell them to end markets. The end markets buy recyclable
materials from the MRFs and process them into new
products. One example of an end market is a tinplate steel
manufacturer that buys steel scrap, including steel pet food
cans, to put into its furnaces and incorporate into sheets
that can be turned into a finished product, such as new
steel cans.
RRS interviewed 13 different MRF operators who collectively
represent more than 100 individual facilities. Those
interviewed included two of the largest MRF operators in
the United States, as well as six aluminum and five steel end
market operators and experts. The purpose of the interviews
was to gain insights into how MRFs and end markets
view and process pet food cans. These interviews gave RRS
insights into recycling market practices and trends. The
operators interviewed represented nearly one-quarter of all
MRFs and half of the tonnage processed nationwide. RRS
asked a series
of questions
to
in these informational
interviews
learn more
about
the recycling process, such as the acceptance of steel and
aluminum pet food cans, how they are sorted within the
MRFs, the volumes of cans processed, the quality grades of
cans sold to the end markets, and what factors impact how
much they are willing to pay.
Survey findings
RRS obtained valuable information from these interviews
that identified barriers to greater recycling of steel
and aluminum pet food cans by MRFs and end markets.
While the research RRS conducted focused on what happens
to steel and aluminum that make it into the recycling
system, pet food makers are aware that too many
cans never make it to the recycling bin. PFI members
understand that many of us, including pet food makers
and pet owners, play a critical role in ensuring sustainable
packaging is part of our joint effort to leave the planet in
better shape for future generations.
Steel
The good news is that 11 of 13 MRFs interviewed indicated
they accept steel pet food cans. This is due in large part to
the successful use of magnets, which make the process of
separating these steel cans effective and easy. The MRFs
interviewed also shared that steel pet food cans do not impact
the overall market quality of the steel bales that MRFs
sell to end markets. This makes sense considering a benefit
of steel is that any kind of steel product can be melted down
and remade into virtually any other steel product. The ease
with which steel can be identified and separated in the recycling
process, coupled with a reliable market for recycled
steel, makes steel pet food cans an example of what works
in the current US recycling system.
One barrier RRS' study identified to the recycling by
MRFs of steel pet food cans was containers with a significant
amount of food (i.e., unopened or nearly full cans),
Consumers should be encouraged to recycle pet food cans
whether they are thoroughly rinsed or not. ©innafoto2017 - stock.adobe.com
72 PET FOOD PROCESSING | September 2021 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
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PET Food Processing - September 2021

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