25 November 2021

M&E Insights, November 2021

ASI Members are involved in a wide range of industrial activities along the aluminium value chain and are encouraged to use ASI-related claims to differentiate their product, process, or business. There are several types of claims that can be made by ASI Members and Entities, relating to ASI Membership, Performance Standard Certification, and Chain of Custody Standard Certification.

ASI Members using the ASI name and logo communicate their commitment to responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. Consistent, accurate and appropriate use of ASI’s name helps build awareness, recognition and credibility of the Initiative and, in turn, benefits the Member by improving visibility of their stewardship activities.

This month we will focus specifically on on-product claims relating to the ASI Chain of Custody Standard and provide insights on:

• Use of on-product claims:
  • Number of on-product claims, types of products on which they are used
  • Number of countries where those products are sold and distribution by region
• CoC Material Flow, how it relates to on-product claims and potential growth
• Evolving drivers for Members making on-product claims

On-product claims

On-product claims are any claims relating to ASI that appear on products, for example imprinted on metal or included on packaging.  This includes ASI logos and/or text claims.

Members wanting to communicate to their customers that their aluminium products support responsible sourcing and have been manufactured following sustainable practices under ASI Standards must hold both the Performance Standard and Chain of Custody (CoC) Standard Certification. Having both certifications provides independent assurance for responsible production, sourcing and documented flow of material through the supply chain.

On-product claims also require ASI approval. Since the first CoC Certification was granted mid-2018, 363 on-product claims have been approved by ASI and are currently in use as at 17 November 2021.

On-product claims have so far been made by only two ASI Members: SIG Combibloc and Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) with 362 claims requested by SIG, and 1 from CBA. The near-total number of claims (362) is consumer-facing (B2C) and is used in the food industry to pack beverage and human or pet liquid food in the aseptic carton packaging (containing aluminium foil). Only 1 on-product claim is currently used for B2B transactions and is printed on a plastic wrapping that protects shipments of foil and sheet products during transportation.

Currently, consumers can find products with the ASI on-product logo in shops across 37 countries distributed worldwide as presented on the map below.

B2C on-product claims by country and region

*Out of which 175 within European Union

CoC Material Flow and on-product claims

ASI Members wanting to label their products with ASI name or logo must not only be certified against the ASI Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard, but also source CoC Material from other CoC Certified Entities to support a mass balance of inputs and outputs, and the unbroken chain of custody of material used. Therefore, the flow of ASI/CoC material through the value chain and into sectors wishing to make claims, is a critical foundation.

The latest ASI Chain of Custody Material Flows visualisation shows the highest volumes of ASI Material available from bauxite mining (approx. 59 million tonnes bauxite in 2020), with each subsequent supply chain stage reducing in volume by around 50% with 350kt making its way into fabricated goods (including 190kt of Eligible Scrap).  The visualisation can be found here and the supporting article and analysis here.

The future increase in the number of on-product claims may be driven by two main factors. First, if customers and consumers increasingly seek assurance that the aluminium in their products is responsibly sourced, this should drive uptake of Chain of Custody Certification and the related flow of ASI/CoC material through the aluminium value chain.  Second, for some sectors, the use of on-product claims may provide a succinct communication mechanism for both ASI Certification and other traceability information, making it an accessible tool for disclosure.

For more information on ASI-related claims, see the ASI Claims Guide – an updated version will be released in May 2022 following the ASI Standards Revision.

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