The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies has released a report detailing how consumer preferences are changing the way foods and beverages are packaged. The research revealed that consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of packaging and want eco-friendly packaging that is recyclable.

While sustainability may be a new trend in packaging, America’s beverage companies have built our technologies and our business practices around it. We are producing 100 percent recyclable aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers, including the caps, and our bottles and cans are among the most recycled consumer packaging in the United States.

We also use less packaging whenever possible and emphasize recycled materials in packages. In fact, hundreds of millions of pounds of raw materials have been saved industry-wide through lightweighting and packaging reduction. Lighter, more streamlined packaging also cuts down on the fuel needed to transport our products.

We believe that producing packaging that is recyclable is only one piece of the puzzle. We are also committed to encouraging and making it easier for our consumers to recycle our products. We support recycling initiatives in communities across the country and back efforts to establish universal single-stream recycling to make recycling simple and more widespread.

The beverage industry is proud to be paving the way for environmental stewardship in business. We work hard to produce beverages that consumers enjoy, but we also care about the environment and what happens to those beverage containers over the long run.