During the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), RUSAL, a global aluminum giant, AB InBev Efes, a major brewing company, along with an aluminum packaging manufacturer and a leading Russian retailer, signed a significant strategic agreement focusing on circular economy initiatives in aluminum packaging, which aligns with Russia’s environmental priorities and all partners’ sustainability goals.

This pioneering project in Russia launched the country’s first beverage with ultra-low-carbon-footprint aluminum cans, covering the entire production chain from raw material mining to shelf placement with full traceability. RUSAL provided low-carbon aluminum containing recycled metals to make the cans, while AB InBev Efes developed a new special flavor and unique can design for its non-alcoholic energy drink VOLT Energy, now available in major Russian supermarkets.

RUSAL CEO Evgenii Nikitin stated that this is the first time Russia has used all available decarbonization methods—including low-carbon primary aluminum, recycled aluminum scrap and RUSAL’s self-developed ALLOW INERTA low-carbon aluminum—to produce metal for beverage cans. The aluminum used, with over 50% recycled content and ALLOW INERTA technology, cuts carbon footprint by more than half with hydropower support, reducing nearly 4 tons of CO2 equivalent per ton of aluminum.

AB InBev Efes CEO Nikolai Churnikov noted that the project sets a benchmark for circular economy collaboration in Russia, with full transparency in the production cycle, supporting Russia’s 2060 low-carbon strategy and the company’s 2035 ESG goals. Aluminum cans are 100% recyclable, and the partners plan to expand recycled aluminum use and promote supporting initiatives like waste sorting and environmental education.

This cooperation is a model for sustainable collaboration between metal and consumer goods manufacturers. RUSAL also aims to replicate and innovate this model with Chinese enterprises to provide more low-carbon, environmentally friendly product solutions.