Figures released by the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute, and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries reported that almost 56 billion aluminum cans were recycled in 2010, the highest in 11 years.
The sector bested its own record-breaking performance in 2009, when it recycled 55.5 billion aluminum cans, translating to a recycling rate of 57.4 percent. Also, over 4.6 million metric tons of aluminum was processed by the U.S. scrap industry, saving 1.3 billion gallons of gasoline.
“We are pleased [that] the recycling rate has increased from last year—this is a boost for our industry and further evidence that the aluminum beverage can is the best environmental and sustainability packaging option,» said the president of Aluminum Association, Steve Larkin.
Aluminum beverage cans be continuously recycled back as new cans, allowing these objects to have the highest recycling rate among all beverage packages. They have the greatest amount of recycled content at 68 percent and cover the cost of their own collection and reprocessing.
“There’s a huge difference between what’s recyclable and what’s actually recycled. Not only are cans infinitely recyclable back into new cans, they actually are being recycled at a rate nearly twice that of every other beverage package,” said C.M.I. president Robert Budway.
“This, coupled with the fact that aluminum cans have the highest recycled content and provide the longest shelf life of any beverage package, underscores why the can truly is the sustainable solution for twenty-first century packaging,” Mr. Budway added.
C.M.I. reports that used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to a store shelf as a new can as quickly as 60 days. This means a consumer could practically buy the same recycled aluminum can from a retailer’s shelf almost every nine weeks or six times a year.
In the U.S., the average family recycles 150 six-packs of aluminum cans every year. In turn, Americans can earn as much as $1 billion every year from recycling cans.
“Recycling is much, much bigger than the bin at the curb. Our industry provided a $77-billion boost to the U.S. economy in 2010, protected our environment, and helped save energy and natural resources,” said the president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Robin Wiener.
The aluminum beverage can sector has been setting higher recycling targets over the years. In 2008, the Aluminum Association declared a goal of recycling 75 percent of aluminum cans by 2015, when the recycling rate at that time was at 54.2 percent. The rate has been gradually climbing upward since then.
Along with the financial gains, the amount of energy saved from recycling cans also increases. Energy savings in 2010 were equal to preventing the use of 17 million barrels of crude oil, or almost two days of all U.S. oil imports.
It takes 95 percent less energy to produce a can from recycled material, resulting to 95 percent less carbon emissions. Recycling aluminum cans also creates 97 percent less water pollution since it reduces the need to source new metal from ore.
In the U.S., 105,784 cans are recycled every minute, C.M.I. data showed.
