Aluminum recycling up 54%

Move over glass and plastic! Aluminum recycling is said to be heating up as recycling rate of aluminum beverage container reached 54.2% last year, the highest ever for any beverage container, according to the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).

Here are the stats:

Aluminum Can Reclamation
Year		Pounds of    Aluminum    Collected *		Number of    cans/pound    of aluminum		Estimated    number of    cans    collected **		Number of    Cans    Shipped ***		Percent of    aluminum    cans    collected
		(millions)				(billions)		(billions)
2007		1,576		34.17		53.8		100.1		53.8
2008		1,557		34.18		53.2		98.3		54.2
% change		-1.2		-		-1.2		-1.8		0.4
Source:		The Aluminum Association, Inc.
		Can Manufacturers Institute
		Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.
Notes:		(*) Used beverage cans melted by U.S. facilities plus exports of can scrap.
		Includes imports of UBC scrap melted in the U.S.
		(**) Total pounds collected multiplied by can weight.
		(***) Annual shipments of aluminum beverage cans lagged one quarter.

According to the Aluminum Association, a can that is recycled can be back on the store shelf in as little as 60 days. The group says aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable, that a recycled can requires 95% less energy, and it creates 97% less water pollution than generating new metal.

"The aluminum can is a sustainable beverage package," said Kevin Anton, Chairman of The Aluminum Association and President, Alcoa Materials Management. "Recycling conserves energy, saves resources and minimizes consumer and production waste. We model the benefits of recycling and will continue to promote these benefits."