Happy 60th Birthday to the Recyclable Aluminum Can

Sixty years ago today, on Jan. 22, 1959, the two-piece recyclable aluminum can designed by Coors made its debut with a 7-ounce Coors Banquet, a move that revolutionized the beverage container industry. Pioneered by the late former Adolph Coors Co. chairman, the aluminum can was the product of years of research and $10 million worth of trial and error. Coors undertook the initiative with two goals in mind: Clearing the landscape of throwaway steel cans and colder, better-tasting beer.

Inspired by European technologies and other discussions, Bill Coors and others in the mid-1950s researched the manufacturing processes and started amassing equipment. Within five years, those first Banquets began rolling off the line. The company concurrently spearheaded a recycling effort, which later became “Cash for Cans,” a program that would lay the groundwork for nationwide efforts that continue today.

Because of his passion for the environment, Bill Coors wanted to make sure other beverage makers would join Coors’ efforts to start a recycling revolution. His big bet paid off. After years of advances, that aluminum can holding your beer has the potential to be born again in fewer than 30 days. MillerCoors continues Bill Coors’ legacy today through a series of sustainability programs.

Here’s a look at 10 fun facts about the recyclable aluminum can as we celebrate its 60^th anniversary.

1. An environmental and taste issue inspired the aluminum can. In the 1950s, cans were made of steel and thrown away with abandon. Everywhere. The steel cans not only littered the environment and became a health hazard, but they lent a metallic taste to the beer. Bill Coors sought a solution for both issues.
2. More than 100 people were involved in its development. Bill Coors recruited engineers from Coors Porcelain Co. to start brainstorming the manufacture of an aluminum beverage can. Over the course of the project, an estimated 113 people helped with the development and manufacturing of the aluminum can.
3. The industry was not on board. The United States Brewers Association, the soda industry and the beverage container industry were all opposed, according to several accounts. They wanted to leave beverage can disposal in the hands of consumers, not the industry. Although Bill Coors encountered resistance from a skeptical industry, he pressed forward anyway and eventually gained acceptance. That year, the industry journal “Modern Metals” recognized Bill Coors as Man of the Year in the light metals industry.
4. Coors had equipment shipped from Europe. Despite the controversy, Coors moved ahead with the aluminum can project to benefit both beer drinkers and the environment. In the mid-1950s, a small team made another trip to Europe to research and procure equipment to ship back to the Coors brewery in Golden.
5. The Adolph Coors Co. debuted the two-piece aluminum can on Jan. 22, 1959. The original aluminum can was 7 ounces because a smaller can was easier to develop and gauge consumer reaction before scaling up to larger cans. (The first aluminum beer can debuted in 1958 by the now-defunct Hawaii Brewing Co., but structural issues, including inadequate lining, led to it being pulled from the market, according to multiple accounts.)

To read the full story, visit www.millercoorsblog.com/news/happy-60th-birthday-to-the-recyclable-aluminum-can/.