Contacts:
Jennifer Goodman
(202) 944-3378
Patrick Kelly
The Aluminum Association
(202) 862-5166
Jenny Day
Can Manufacturers Institute
(202) 232-4677
Chuck Carr
Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries
(202) 662-8527
Aluminum Beverage Can Recycling Rate Rising
-- First Time Since 1997 -51.2 Percent of Aluminum Cans Recycled in 2004
Washington, D.C., May 20, 2005 - The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers
Institute (CMI), and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) today released
statistics indicating that Americans and the can recycling industries recycled 51.5 billion
aluminum cans in 2004, for a beverage can recycling rate of 51.2 percent. This reflects
a 1.2 percent increase over the 2003 rate and the first increase since 1997.
The aluminum beverage can is the most recycled consumer beverage container in the
United States. It amounts to more than twice the recycling rate for beverage packages
of other materials.
“This rising rate reflects the high value of aluminum recycling,” said Craig P. Eddy,
chairman of The Aluminum Association and president and chief executive officer of
Coastal Aluminum Rolling Mills, Inc. “There are tremendous social, economic and
environmental benefits to recycling aluminum cans. We encourage consumers to
contribute to a sustainable environment by purchasing and recycling aluminum cans.”
“Through such initiatives as Cans for Habitat, a recycling partnership with The
Aluminum Association and Habitat for Humanity, as well as a joint public service
campaign with Nickelodeon, utilizing animated character Jimmy Neutron, The Aluminum
Association and its allied organizations work to stress the environmental and economic
value of recycling aluminum cans,“ said Eddy.
Recycling is offered through curbside pick-up to approximately half of Americans,
through drop off and “buy back” centers located in most towns, and by donating cans to
charitable organizations.
"We are very pleased in the increase in recycling rates," said Bill Barker, group director,
Global Beverage Cans, Rexam, and chairman of the Can Manufacturers Institute. "But
there is still much work to do. We are looking forward to working with the aluminum
sheet suppliers, the beverage marketers and legislators to promote the values of
recycling to consumers to keep this momentum."
The aluminum beverage can is 100 percent recyclable into new beverage cans
indefinitely -- demonstrating recycling at its finest. Aluminum can recycling helps fund
the entire collection system. The aluminum can is the only packaging material that more
than covers the cost of collection and re-processing for itself. It also helps subsidize the
collection of other recyclable materials.
Recycling saves energy. Recycling 40 aluminum beverage cans has the energy-saving
equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. During 2004, Americans recycled enough
aluminum cans to conserve the energy equivalent of over 15 million barrels of oil.
The Aluminum Association and CMI formed a joint committee called, the Aluminum Can
Council (ACC) to explore and implement new programs to increase consumer interest in
aluminum cans and recycling. The ACC’s Curbside Value Partnership program is
helping communities promote curbside recycling to households, and their systems with
value-based measurement for tracking improvement. Other ACC programs include can
advertising, recycling promotion, student environmental education programs, school and
civic organization collection programs, and other projects. The ACC recognizes and
promotes the value and importance of recycling.
The aluminum can is a leader in recycling and has been for more than 20 years. In the
United States, 100.5 billion cans were produced in 2004. 51.5 billion aluminum cans
were recycled, equaling some 1.51 billion pounds.
Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, noted the
efficiency of the aluminum can recycling process. "Recycling beverage cans saves
energy and money in the production of new products. By recycling beverage cans, the
public has the opportunity to simultaneously make a positive contribution to cleaner air,
energy efficiency, and reduced landfill use. The industry has done its part by designing
cans to be easily recyclable. The public must do its part to help by recycling even more."
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ALUMINUM CAN RECLAMATION
Year
Pounds of
Aluminum
Collected 1
No. of
No. of Cans Aluminum
per Pound of Cans
Aluminum
Collected 2
No. of
Aluminum
Cans
Shipped 3
(millions)
(billions)
(billions)
49.9
99.7
2003
1,479
33.72
Percent of
Aluminum
Cans
Collected
50.0
2004
1,518
33.92
51.5
100.5
51.2
% change
2.6%
0.6%
3.2%
0.8%
1.2%
Source:
The Aluminum Association, Inc.
Can Manufacturers Institute
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc.
Notes: (1) Used beverage cans melted by U.S. facilities plus exports of can scrap.
Includes imports of UBC scrap melted in the U.S.
(2) Total pounds collected multiplied by can weight.
(3) Annual shipments of aluminum beverage cans lagged one quarter.
Note to Editors:
The data used to calculate the 2004 U.S. aluminum beverage can recycling rate
are:
Used beverage can scrap (million pounds):
Multiplied by the average cans per pound:
Equals the total number of cans recycled:
Divided by the number of cans shipped:
Equals the percentage:
1,518 million pounds
33.92
51.5 billion
100.5 billion
51.2%
The data used to calculate the 2004 U.S. aluminum beverage can recycled content
rate are:
UBC recovery rate (billion pounds):
1.223
Divided by the estimated net weight of cans shipped (billion pounds):
Equals the content percentage:
2.963
41.3%
3