Celebrating Earth Day
![Crown Cans for Earth Day Crown Cans for Earth Day](/sites/default/files/fields/images/article/360-sustainability-aluminum.jpg)
Established in 1970, Earth Day (April 22nd) is a well-known global event that honors the environment and increases the public’s awareness of major ecological and conservational issues that affect Mother Earth. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the first Earth Day was recognized by 22 million Americans, who celebrated clean air, land and water. While Earth Day themes and key messages have evolved over the last few decades, the central goal of giving back and preserving the environment still remains.
Focus on Food Recovery
For 2016, the EPA’s theme for Earth Day is Food Recovery, focusing on reducing food loss and waste. To coincide with this theme, consumers can look to metal packaging as a way to make responsible choices in the name of the environment.
While metal cans are 100 percent and infinitely recyclable, they are also the ideal packaging vessel for preserving foods. Thanks to its unbeatable barrier against light, oxygen and water, metal can offers unparalleled protection, which is essential for maintaining food’s flavor, nutrition and integrity.
Better than any other format, metal packaging also helps products achieve longer shelf lives, which reduces the risk of food spoiling before it is consumed, and even prevents waste. In fact, if the entire fruit and vegetable supply in the United States was canned – rather than packaged for refrigeration or frozen – an estimated 7 million metric tons of food would be saved.
We can all play a part in Earth Day this year, just by simply choosing metal.
To learn more about the 360º sustainability of metal, please see our current sustainability report.