How Many Times Can Aluminum Cans Be Recycled?

"According to the Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the can recycling rate in 2013 was 66.7 percent – the 2012 rate, by comparison, came in at 67 percent, while the 2011 rate was 65.1 percent."

"Aluminum cans are recycled more readily and more frequently than any other beverage packaging type ‒ period," Heidi Brock, president and CEO of the Aluminum Association, said in a press release. 

These figures support the idea that America sees the aluminum can as a more obvious item to place into a recycling bin. States with container deposit laws contribute to these high recycling figures, as well.

Obviously, keeping recyclable material out of the landfill is one of the main goals. According to several Solid Waste Districts, "the aluminum can recycling process saves 95 percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite ore, as well as natural resources, according to the Aluminum Association. Making a ton of aluminum cans from virgin ore, or bauxite, uses 229 BTUs of energy. In contrast, producing cans from recycled aluminum uses only 8 BTUs of energy per can, conserving the equivalent of 36 barrels of oil, or 1,665 gallons of gasoline.

According to Alcoa, the world's third largest producer of aluminum, the aluminum can is infinitely recyclable. That means it can be used, recycled, and turned back into a new can endlessly. In fact, it can be recycled and back on the store shelf as a new beverage can in less than 60 days.

alcoa.com
greenerpackage.com
solidwastedistrict.com
resource-recycling.com