Math Problems: Aluminum Recycling
Adapted from Classroom Activities, by Dept of Economic & Community Development, State
of Maine
Back to Trash Goes To School
GRADE LEVELS: 7-8
SUBJECT AREAS: math, economics
CONCEPT: Recycling aluminum makes sense economically as well as environmentally.
OBJECTIVE: To become aware of the economics involved in recycling aluminum.
MATERIALS:
pen or pencil
handout: Math Problems: Aluminum Recycling
KEYWORDS: recycling
BACKGROUND: Compared with creating an aluminum can from raw materials, recycling
one soda can results in 85% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution and uses 90% less
energy.
New York State, like several other states, has a bottle deposit law. The bottle bill gives
people an incentive to keep litter off the streets and bottles and cans out of the landfill. For
each deposit container you bring to the store you receive 5 cents and the container usually is
recycled by the company. In other states, cans may be taken to recycling centers which pay
by the pound. The following exercise takes place in such a recycling center.
PROCEDURE: Discuss the advantages of recycling aluminum, and have the students
complete the problems on the following page.
Answers:
1. 24 cans/lb x 15,000 lb/trailer = 360,000 cans/trailer
2. Answer will depend on your price per can or per pound. For example, if price is 60 cents
per pound: $0.60/lb x 15,000 lb = $9,000
3. 15,000 lbs/trailer / 30 lbs/collector = 500 can collectors/trailer
4. 15,000 lbs/trailer / 800 lbs/bale = 18 complete bales (and 3/4 of another bale)/trailer
5. 24 cans/lb x 800 lb/bale = 19,200 cans / bale
6. 100 bales/boxcar x 800 lbs/bale = 80,000 lb. cans / boxcar
7. 100 bales/boxcar x 19,200 cans/bale = 1,920,000 cans / boxcar
8. Answer will depend on your price per can or per pound. For example, if price is 60 cents
per pound: $0.60/lb x 80,000 lb/boxcar = $48,000/boxcar
Math Problems: Aluminum Recycling
Recycling centers store the used cans they buy from can collectors in trailers. A full trailer
holds 15,000 pounds of loose cans. There are about 24 aluminum cans in a pound. When the
trailer is full, it is hauled to a processing plant where the loose cans are pressed into huge
800-pound bales. Bales are loaded into rail boxcars for a trip to an aluminum company
remelting plant. Remelted cans are rolled into new aluminum for new cans.
If you are in a state with a bottle bill, the value of each container is five or ten cents. If your
state does not have a bottle bill, find out how much per pound your nearest recycling center
pays for aluminum. If you have no recycling center near you, ask a local scrap metal dealer
for the price paid for aluminum scrap. Use a price of 60 cents per pound if you cannot get a
local figure.
1. Suppose you own a recycling center. If you want to fill your trailer full of used beverage
cans, how many cans will you need?
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2. How much cash can you collect for the cans in a full trailer?
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3. If each can collector brings 30 pounds, how many collectors must visit the center before a
trailer is full?
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4. When the trailer is hauled to a processing plant (where loose cans are baled), how many
complete bales can be made from one trailer load?
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5. How many cans are in one bale?
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6. The bales are loaded in railroad boxcars. A boxcar holds 100 bales. How many pounds of
cans are in a full boxcar?
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7. How many cans are in a full boxcar?
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8. How much were can collectors paid for the cans in a boxcar?
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