Aluminum Vs Plastic: The Clear Winner for A Sustainable Future
John Fieldly, CEO of Celsius
Let’s get one thing straight, plastic is not the sustainability hero it’s been sold as. For decades, we’ve been told to just recycle more, and everything will be fine. But here’s the truth: recycling plastic is like slapping a Band-Aid on a broken system and calling it fixed.
Guess how much plastic gets recycled? Just 9%. The other 91%?(Geyer, Jambeck, & Law, 2017) It’s buried in landfills, choking up our oceans, or getting burned , literally fueling climate change. That’s not a system. That’s a crisis.
If we don’t change course, we’re looking at 12 billion metric tons of plastic waste by 2050. (Geyer et al., 2017) That’s the weight of 36,000 Empire State Buildings. It’s an overwhelming visual, but the good news is—we still have a choice.
The Problem Isn’t Just Plastic. It’s Our Mentality.
The real issue isn’t just plastic. It’s the culture we’ve built around convenience. Single-use thinking. Cheap materials. Infinite production. But here’s the hard truth: there is no “away” when we throw things away. It’s all coming back to harm us through microplastics in our bloodstreams, toxins in our ecosystems, and climate systems spiraling out of control.
So no, recycling plastic is not the answer. Reuse is where we start, but redesign is where we win. We need smarter materials, smarter systems, and smarter leadership.
Aluminum Is Our Reset Button.
Now let’s talk about aluminum. Unlike plastic, aluminum is infinitely recyclable. A full 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in circulation.(Ball Corporation, 2021) That’s what a circular economy looks like.
An aluminum can can become another aluminum can over and over again without losing quality or value. That’s the kind of reuse we should be designing around. Not downcycling, not landfilling, actual regeneration.
In addition, aluminum keeps your drinks colder, maintains flavor, and doesn’t leach harmful chemicals into your beverage. Ever leave a plastic bottle in your car and it tastes weird? That microplastic. No thanks.
At Celsius, We’re Not Waiting for the Industry to Catch Up.
We’re not just trying to fuel your workout, we’re trying to fuel a better future. That’s why Celsius is committed to using aluminum cans, reducing our carbon footprint, and integrating sustainability into our DNA.
This isn’t a PR stunt. It’s a responsibility.
We’re challenging not just ourselves, but the entire beverage industry: stop hiding behind plastic. Stop settling for “recyclable.” Start designing products and systems that work for people and the planet.
Plastic vs. Aluminum – It’s Not Even Close.
| Aluminum | Plastic |
| 75% still in use | 91% wasted |
| Infinitely recyclable | Mostly downcycled (if at all) |
| Strong, safe, and reusable | Weak, leaches chemicals |
| Lower lifecycle emissions | Made from fossil fuels |
Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R., & Law, K. L. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3(7), e1700782. https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/3/7/e1700782
The Aluminum Association. (2023). Recycling. https://www.aluminum.org/sustainability/recycling
Greenpeace. (2022). Circular Claims Fall Flat. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/circular-claims-fall-flat/
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2021). From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/pollution-plastics-and-health
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2021). Sustainable Management of Materials: Aluminum. https://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-management-materials-aluminum
International Aluminium Institute (IAI). (2022). Life Cycle Assessment of Aluminium. https://international-aluminium.org/statistics/life-cycle-assessment/
The Verdict? The Future Is Aluminum.
The time for passive sustainability is over. This isn’t about greenwashing, it’s about real change. At Celsius, we’re not just hyping clean energy drinks—we’re backing clean materials, circular thinking, and bold climate action.
It’s time to rethink what we drink from. It’s time to hold brands accountable. And it’s time to make aluminum the standard, not the exception.
Let’s build a future where energy is clean, materials are smart, and waste isn’t inevitable.