Unilever PLC, Alcoa Corporation and Ball Corporation announced a partnership on November 6, 2025 to deploy the first use of ELYSIS® carbon‑free smelting technology in consumer personal and home‑care aerosol cans. The collaboration will produce cans that combine 50 % ELYSIS primary aluminum with 50 % post‑consumer recycled content, creating one of the lowest‑carbon packaging options available for household and personal‑care products.
The ELYSIS® process eliminates direct greenhouse‑gas emissions from smelting by generating oxygen instead of CO₂, allowing primary aluminum to be produced without fossil‑fuel‑derived carbon. The resulting aluminum is blended with recycled material, reducing the overall carbon intensity of the can and aligning with Unilever’s goal of achieving net‑zero emissions across its value chain by 2039 and a 100 % renewable‑energy target for 2030.
While the announcement did not disclose a specific consumer launch date or the exact percentage reduction in carbon emissions per can, the partnership signals a significant step toward Unilever’s sustainability agenda. By integrating low‑carbon primary aluminum, the company can further reduce the carbon footprint of its packaging, potentially setting a new industry benchmark and encouraging other manufacturers to adopt similar low‑carbon solutions.
Renato Bacchi, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Alcoa, said the collaboration “helps bring low‑carbon aluminum into everyday products and demonstrates how innovation at the material level can deliver tangible sustainability benefits.” Ball’s Ramon Arratia, Chief Sustainability Officer, added that the project “combines higher recycled content and low‑carbon primary aluminum—both key to decarbonizing aluminum packaging and the sector at large.”
The fact‑check report notes that the announcement did not specify which Unilever brands will feature the new aerosol cans, the commercial scale of ELYSIS® production beyond the pilot plant, or the immediate financial impact on the partners. These details remain undisclosed at this time.
The partnership underscores the growing importance of sustainable packaging in consumer goods and highlights how material innovation can drive progress toward net‑zero targets. It also positions Unilever, Alcoa and Ball as leaders in the transition to a circular, low‑carbon economy.
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