Aluminum Can Recycling Nears 55 Percent
The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) released recycling figures for 2008 showing that 54.2 percent of aluminum cans were recycled in 2008, making it once again the most commonly recycled beverage container.
For manufacturer Alcoa, whose President Kevin Anton is also chairman of the Aluminum Association, this is the next step toward a goal of 75 percent recycling by 2015.
Each year, the aluminum industry pays out more than $800 million dollars for empty aluminum cans - a lot of money that can go to organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the Boy or Girl Scouts of America or even a local school. Photo: Aluminum.org
The only curbside recyclable with a higher recycling rate is steel, which is buoyed by strong numbers for car and construction material recycling, to put it over 65 percent.
“This shows recycling rates for cans [are] strong and can makers are committed to their continual increase,” Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute tells Greener Package. “Higher recycling rates deliver the endlessly recyclable benefits for cans, reducing carbon emissions, virgin material use and energy expenditure.”
Both these metals can be recycled continuously and can be turned back into metal containers and other metal products. However, the decrease in demand for metal has led to financial concerns for scrap metal recyclers, in addition to decreased recycling values.
When recycled, an aluminum can is typically back on store shelves within two months. It also takes 95 percent less energy to manufacture a new can using recycled aluminum.
As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.
wk nakamura
posted on August 21st, 2009 at 2:53 am
Every one who buys drinks in cans pay $.06 and get back $.05 for each can. But what happens to the money you should get for just turning in aluminum such as wire, sheets of scrap and other aluminum items which cans should be included which should get paid by the lbs. Just a thought. Some one is making money from the supposedly smart recycling public. The State should look into this matter and help out their people to get extra money to stimulate the economy.
Newlygreens » Blog Archive » Reusable News :: Oct 15th, 2009
posted on October 15th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
[...] Aluminum Can Recycling Nears 55 Percent [...]
Jordan Brazina
posted on December 16th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
you schould tottally make a house out of it