Facts about Aluminum Recycling
Interesting facts about aluminum and aluminum can recycling.
- Discovered in the 1820s, aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth.
- Over 50 percent of the aluminum cans produced are recycled.
- A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
- Aluminum is a durable and sustainable metal: two-thirds of the aluminum ever produced is in use today.
- Every minute of everyday, an average of 113,204 aluminum cans are recycled.
- Making new aluminum cans from used cans takes 95 percent less energy and 20 recycled cans can be made with the energy needed to produce one can using virgin ore.
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt bulb burning for almost four hours or run your television for three hours.
- Last year 54 billion cans were recycled saving energy equivalent to 15 million barrels of crude oil – America’s entire gas consumption for one day.
- Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of that can’s volume of gasoline.
- In 1972, 24,000 metric tons of aluminum used beverage containers (UBCs) were recycled. In 1998, the amount increased to over 879,000 metric tons.
- In 1972, it took about 22 empty, aluminum cans to weigh one pound. Due to advanced technology to use less material and increase durability of aluminum cans, in 2002 it takes about 34 empty aluminum cans to weigh one pound.
- The average employee consumes 2.5 beverages a day while at work.
- The empty aluminum can is worth about 1 cent.
mike
posted on December 28th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
is it true that if you save a gallon of aluminum taps and than take it to a recycling center you get $100. Cause i have been wondering. I live in Chicago so it might be less.
georgia
posted on January 19th, 2009 at 8:30 am
I was recently told that crushed aluminum cans cannot be recycled. same with milk cartons, etc. is that true??
CJ
posted on January 22nd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Hi there, As far as the tabs you would just get the metal content in them so probably only a few dollars at most but I know some charities take them and get a cent or two from sponsors when people donate the tabs to them. Wouldn’t be surprised if it took thousands to make a gallon.
For crushed cans I know most recycling places prefer them crushed as people sometimes try and weight the cans down with water etc to get more $$ for their metals. I would imagine the high temperatures also don’t really care whether the cans or plastics are crushed as they are set up to pretty much take small pieces or larger thicker pieces like old siding, gutters and the like.
As long as you continue to recycle according to your local rules all should be well.
Hope this info helped, CJ
Katie
posted on January 22nd, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I read an article – go to snopes.com that says taking the tabs off cans actually makes them less likely to be able to be used. If you want to get money for aluminum, bring the entire can. Above it says about 1 cent for a can, but I don’t know if that is true.
Some Interesting Facts about ALUMINUM « Big Green Planet
posted on April 9th, 2009 at 6:52 am
[...] can than to make more cans out of recycled cans? Learn more facts about Aluminum recycling on Earth 911 Facts about Aluminum Recycling. You can read about the BENEFITS of recycling aluminum on Earth 911 as [...]
Christal
posted on April 18th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I’ll remember that the next time I throw out a pop can, I am throwing a penny out the window.