Get Ready to Drink Less Beer and Soda…Minnesota

Attention beer and soda drinkers! Prepare yourself to drink less of it, at least from a can.

First, it was toilet paper, paper towel's, disinfectant wipes -- anything to do with paper. We could barely find it anywhere. Then we had eggs, orange juice, milk, and many other things. But eventually, we saw those recover after everyone was done freaking out.

According to the USAToday, there's a new item to add, and this shortage might be around for a while, and it also might make you freak out. We're talking about aluminum and aluminum cans. And it affects so many things. But at the top of the list, and most importantly for many of us, is beer and soda.

"The can industry is working 24/7 on meeting the unprecedented demand," - Robert Budway (President of the Can Manufacturers Institute)

So why is this exactly happening? We recycle a lot of aluminum every year, don't we? Yep, we do.  According to the EPA and the Aluminum Association, we recycle almost one-third of aluminum containers, and 50% of that is beer and soda. We are also using plastic less, which is a really good thing.

So why is there a shortage if we are doing our part to recycle? It's really just a matter of too much, too soon, thanks to COVID.

“The aluminum beverage can manufacturing industry has seen unprecedented demand for this environmentally friendly container prior to and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many new beverages are coming to market in cans, and other long-standing can customers are moving away from plastic bottles due to ongoing environmental concerns around plastic pollution. Consumers also appear to be favoring the portability and storability of cans as they spend more time at home.” - Aluminum Association

So when do we get back to regular aluminum can production?  New plants are being built, but it's going to take a while. The best-case scenario looks like at least a year from now.

Source: USAToday