Re: [GreenYes] Aluminum Recycling

[JenGitlitz@aol.com]

Regarding Ben Randolph's (info@edensterling.com) recent posting on aluminum 
recycling:

That is the standard industry line--that 62.6% of aluminum cans produced in 
the US were recycled in 2000.  In fact, only 54.5% of aluminum cans SOLD here 
were recycled; 7.8 billion scrap cans were imported from abroad and should 
not legitimately be counted in the U.S. domestic recycling rate.  CRI's 
upcoming report "Trashed Cans: The Global Environmental Impacts of Aluminum 
Wasting in America" explains how the American aluminum industry has been 
inflating the recycling rate, and details how the growing amount of aluminum 
cans NOT recycled (691,000 tons of cans were wasted in 2000, versus 554,000 
tons in 1990) is wasting energy, creating pollution, and harming ecosystems 
around the world.  We will post more on the report when it comes out in the 
next month.  Stay tuned!

Jennifer Gitlitz

Senior Research Associate, Container Recycling Institute

Home office:

1010 Pleasant St.

Worcester, MA 01602

Phone: (508) 793-8516

eFax: (928) 833-0460

e-mail: jengitlitz@aol.com

In a message dated 1/31/02 4:03:05 PM, info@edensterling.com writes:

<< I found the article below at www.aluminum.com

Peace,

Ben Randolph

http://www.silvercollecting.com

The Online Encyclopedia of American Silver Marks


Americans Recycle 2 Of 3 Aluminum Cans

Aluminum Can Recycling Rate Is 62.1 Percent For 2000


Washington, D.C., April 19, 2001 -Americans recycled 62. 6 billion aluminum

cans in 2000, for a beverage can recycling rate of 62.1 percent or nearly

two of every three aluminum cans.


The annual statistics were released today by the three organizations

representing the aluminum can recycling industry: The Aluminum Association;

the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI); and the Institute of Scrap Recycling

Industries (ISRI).


"While the aluminum can is still the leader in packaging recycling, and has

been for more than 20 years, our member companies are on a mission to

increase consumer interest in recycling," said Dick Kerr, chairman of the

association and president of IMCO Recycling Inc.


"The demand for aluminum cans remains strong and the industry remains

committed to recycling every can returned," said Robert Budway, president of

the Can Manufacturers Institute. "The closed-loop process of turning a can

into a can with no loss in quality represents recycling at its finest." In

the United States, 100.8 billion cans were produced in 2000, with 62.6

billion aluminum cans recycled-some 1.9 billion pounds.


"The recycling infrastructure is so efficient that it can take as few as 60

days for an aluminum can to be collected, melted, processed, manufactured

into a new can, filled, and stocked on a retailer's shelf," said Robin

Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries." Recycling

also is energy efficient. Aluminum can recycling saves about 95 percent of

the energy required to produce aluminum from ore."


Aluminum cans almost exclusively represent the metal beverage can market in

America. The average aluminum beverage can is comprised of more than 51

percent recycled content.


Aluminum cans are the most valuable and recyclable package. In 2000, the

industry paid out $1.2 billion to recyclers for their used aluminum beverage

cans. The recycling proceeds are invested into local economies benefiting

individuals, municipalities, schools, churches, scout troops and non-profit

organizations.


For many groups, used aluminum cans turn into new-found money thanks to

aluminum can industry initiatives. Initiatives include the Aluminum

Association's partnership with Habitat for Humanity called "Aluminum Cans

Build Habitat for Humanity Homes," designed to boost public interest in

aluminum can recycling while helping volunteers and families build homes

with Habitat; and CMI's "Cans for Cash," a comprehensive recycling

fundraising and educational program involving thousands of students and

community groups nationwide.


In 2000, the number of cans manufactured per pound of aluminum rose slightly

to 33.12. The can industry continues its source-reduction achievement in the

form of "lightweighting"-making more aluminum cans with less

aluminum-resulting in a ten percent savings in the number of cans per pound

in just six years when 30.13 cans equaled a pound.


To view the Tables for the April 2001 Used Beverage Can recycling report,

click here.


Contact Information

Patrick Kelly

(202)862-5166 or pkelly@aluminum.org.


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