Greentech Lead America: U.S aluminum can recycling has achieved a 65.1 percent
recycle rate in 2011, according to the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers
Institute (CMI) and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
The U.S. recycling rate for aluminum beverage
containers jumped seven percentage points, from 58.1 percent to 65.1 percent
for 2011. According to the association, 61 billion cans were
recycled in 2011, a milestone that marks solid progress toward the industry’s
goal of a 75 percent recycle rate.
Aluminum cans are recycled at a rate that is more than
double that of any other beverage container.
“We are excited to have made strong progress toward
our goal to increase the aluminum can recycling rate to 75 percent,”
said Heidi Brock, president of the Aluminum Association, “but we need the
help of every American to continue to raise the rate. There is much more work
still to be done here in the United States to reach our goal by
2015.”
The higher recycling rate also secures the
aluminum can’s position as the most recycled beverage container. Aluminum
cans are recycled at a rate that is more than double that of any other beverage
container.
Cans are the best green packaging choice because it takes
95 percent less energy to produce a can from recycled material, resulting in
significant energy, emissions and resource savings. The amount of energy saved
just from recycling cans in 2011 is equal to the energy equivalent of over 17
million barrels of crude oil, according to Association’s Can committee chair,
Allison Buchanan of Alcoa.
Aluminum cans not only have the highest recycling
rate of all beverage packages, they also have the greatest amount of total
recycled content – by far – an industry average of 68 percent.
The savings can be realized over and over again due to
the infinite recyclability inherent in aluminum cans. “That means the cans we
recycle after our upcoming Labor Day barbeques will be back on the store shelf
as new cans by Halloween; not just this year, but for many years to come,”
Buchanan added.
This can-to-can closed loop process happens in as little
as 60 days, and if consumers do their part to make sure cans find the way to a
recycle bin, those cans will never have to see a landfill. In fact,
aluminum cans not only have the highest recycling rate of all
beverage packages, they also have the greatest amount of total recycled content – by far – an industry average of 68 percent.
The increase in the recycling rate was
primarily driven by imports of used beverage containers (UBCs) thanks to the
huge demand for recycled aluminum cans in the United States. Import of UBCs in
2011 increased approximately 25 percent. Used cans are shipped into the U.S for
melting and conversion into new cans.
editor@greentechlead.com