Aluminum can recycling rate highest in a decade

The U.S. recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans reached its highest level in a decade, with 58.1% of all cans recycled last year—a rate that is more than double than that of any other beverage container, according to the Aluminum Assn., Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Nearly 56 billion aluminum cans were recycled in 2010, leading to a used beverage container (UBC) recycling rate of 58.1%—the highest in 11 years. Because it takes 95% less energy to produce a can from recycled material, the high recycling rate also resulted in energy savings. The amount of energy saved just from recycling cans in 2010 is equal to the energy equivalent to 17 million barrels of crude oil, or nearly two days of all U.S. oil imports.

Not only can cans be recycled back into new cans, they are recycled at a rate nearly twice that of every other beverage package. 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.

As the first link in the manufacturing supply chain, the scrap recycling industry provides feedstock material sought after by industrial customers around the world, including more than 4.6 million metric tons of aluminum scrap processed in the U.S. and shipped throughout the U.S. and to more than 50 countries in 2010,”