Recycled Aluminum Beverage Can Rate Increases

The Aluminum Association (www.aluminum.org), the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) have announced the United States. recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans has reached 58.1 percent in 2010.

In 2008, the Aluminum Association set a goal of recycling 75 percent of aluminum cans by 2015. The recycling rate in 2008 was 54.2 percent. The recycling rate increased by 3.2 percent in 2009 with 57.4 percent of all aluminum beverage cans being recycled.

Steve Larkin, The Aluminum Association president, says, “We are pleased 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. Of course we must do more at the federal, state and local levels to enact recycling policies and awareness, and this is a task we continue to pursue aggressively. We continue to look for partners who are also sincere about making a real change in how we approach recycling in the U.S. today.”

According to a news release from The Aluminum Association, CMI and ISRI, almost 56 billion aluminum cans were recycled in one year. Because it takes 95 percent less energy to produce a can from recycled material, the recycling rate also resulted in significant energy savings. The Aluminum Association estimates the amount of energy saved from recycling cans in 2010 is equal to the energy equivalent of 17 million barrels of crude oil, or approximately two days of all United States oil imports.