Showa Aluminum Can Corporation (SAC), a subsidiary of Showa Denko (headquartered in Tokyo, Japan) held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of its new aluminum can production facility in Southern Vietnam. The new facility is operated by SAC’s Vietnamese subsidiary Hanacans Joint Stock Company.
Hanacans has been successfully increasing the sale of aluminum cans throughout northern and central Vietnam. With the completion of its third production facility, the company now has a complete aluminum can production system, from the north to the south.
Named the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Factory, the new can production facility has a production capacity of 1.3 billion can bodies per year. Moreover, Hanacans is currently installing an additional line to produce 1.1 billion can ends per year, which will be named Bac Ninh Factory.
With the completion of these two new projects, Hanacans will have a total production capacity of 3.3 billion can bodies and 3.3 billion can ends per year.
Recycling Activity
Showa Denko Group reported that it has continued to perform aluminum can recycling activity in the fiscal year 2019 (April 2019 – March 2020). During this time, the company collected 4.43 million cans — equivalent to about 67.8 tons of aluminum (based on a conversion rate of 15.3 grams of aluminum per can).
SAC started aluminum can recycling activity in 1972. The activity spread across the Showa Denko Group in 2001 and has continued to the present day. Collected aluminum cans are purchased by the Showa Denko Group, and used mainly by SAC to produce new aluminum beverage cans. Recycling of aluminum cans not only contributes to the promotion of efficient use of resources, but also reduces electricity consumed to produce aluminum by 97%, compared to primary production.
“In [Showa Denko], we have in-house programs to educate employees about aluminum can recycling and officially commend workplaces and individual employees in accordance with employees’ participation rate or volume of collected cans, aiming to vitalize the recycling activity,” said Showa Denko in a statement. “In fiscal 2019, a total of 8,057 employees, or 97.6% of all Group employees in Japan, participated in the activity.”
In addition to the aluminum can recycling, Showa Denko has been operating businesses that support creation of a recycling-oriented society. Through provision of sustainable products and services, the company will continue contributing to the creation of a society where affluence and sustainability are harmonized.