Aluminum group critical of PET bottle study

ARLINGTON, VA. (April 13, 3:15 p.m. ET) — An aluminum industry trade association is blasting a lifecycle analysis released last week by PET resin suppliers that concluded that PET single-serve bottles have less impact on the environment than aluminum or glass containers.

“In a world increasingly concerned about sustainability, no other package can match aluminum’s 60-day turnaround from used beverage container to new can. No other container can match the energy savings and value that aluminum brings to recycling,” said Aluminum Association President Steve Larkin, in a news release. “That is why we are troubled by a report suggesting otherwise, and have taken a close look at its methodology.”

The Arlington-based Aluminum Association said the analysis issued by the New York-based PET Resin Association (PETRA) showed “a consistent and selective use of outdated data for competitive materials, an issue that calls into question comparisons based on the report.”

The aluminum group said PETRA used data based on the aluminum industry’s 1995 production profile. More current data would have shown a 15 percent improvement in energy efficiency and 30 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

PETRA’s results also contradict a study by Carbon Trust that concluded that aluminum cans have the lowest carbon footprint among beverage packages, the aluminum group said.

The Aluminum Association will release its own lifecycle study this month. The study is being prepared by PE Americas to inform the WalMart scorecard process.

Larkin likened the PETRA study to a “PR stunt.”

“Traditionally, [lifecycle analysis] studies have not been used to attack other products since that’s not the intent of an LCA. We’d like to see the LCA study continue to be used as a tool for self-improvement, not for PR stunts,” he said.

The PETRA study, conducted by Franklin Associates, compared total energy, solid waste and greenhouse gas emissions per 100,000 ounces of soft drinks packaged in 20-ounce PET bottles, 8-ounce glass bottles or 12-ounce aluminum cans. The PET bottles showed lower greenhouse gas emissions, generated less waste and used less energy for their entire life cycle.