Aluminum beverage cans are once again the most recycled beverage packaging type in the U.S. with an industry recycling rate of 66.7 percent in 2013, according to new data released by the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
This marks the third consecutive year the rate has held above 65 percent. Since it takes just 8 percent of the energy to produce recycled aluminum versus new aluminum, energy saved from this effort is enough to fuel more than 1 million cars on the road for a full year.
The infinite recyclability of aluminum and the high value of the material means that the aluminum can is routinely recycled directly back into itself. This process happens over and over again without degradation in product quality.
While the rate of industry can recycling has risen significantly over the past decade, much of the growth in recent years has come from the addition of imported used aluminum cans entering the U.S. recycling stream. Because of aluminum’s high inherent value and the closed loop recycling process of can-making, U.S. recyclers often import used cans from Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and other countries. While the number of imported cans decreased slightly from 2012, the number of cans recycled by U.S. consumers increased slightly, offsetting the decline.
In 2013, $812 million worth of aluminum cans were not recycled. These landfilled cans, which could otherwise have been recycled and made into new cans, present an enormous opportunity to save energy and create jobs.
Published in the December 2014 Edition of American Recycler News