Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed in a recent poll thought recyclability was somewhat or very important when they purchase a container. Unfortunately, these same respondents were not aware that recycling rates have been dropping.
A survey commissioned by Alcan Aluminum Corp., Cleveland, and conducted by Leger Marketing, Montreal, asked 1,000 Americans about their own used beverage can (UBC) recycling habits and their perception of nationwide trends.More than three-fourths of those contacted (81 percent) say they are recycling more or the same number of UBCs as they were five years ago. This perception is at odds with the actual UBC recycling rate in the U.S., which has declined from a peak of 68 percent in 1992 to just 55.4 percent in 2001.
Some recycling advocates, such as the Container Recycling Institute, Arlington, Va., point to state bottle deposit and return policies as the key to raising the recycling rate, noting that states with bottle bills reach UBC recycling rates of from 70 to 90 percent.
According to Alcan Senior Vice President Martha Finn Brooks, based on a current price of about 53 cents a pound, the 45 billion UBCs that went to landfills last year represents about $750 million in potential lost revenue to scrap recyclers or community recycling programs.
Brooks, who is responsible for Alcan’s UBC recycling and cansheet manufacturing operations in the U.S., says recycling education should be a major focus for the nation. Alcan is believed to be the world’s largest consumer of scrap UBCs.
Brooks says the poll is a first step in understanding the issues involved with the drop in aluminum can recycling. She thinks education, beginning in elementary schools, is an important part of the answer because “we’ve got to make it as automatic to recycle an aluminum can versus throwing it away as it [is] to fasten your seatbelt when you get in your car to drive.”
The good news for recyclers was that those responding were supportive of recycling overall and of government support for recycling. Over three-quarters (77 percent) of respondents replied that local governments should be operating tax-supported curbside recycling programs.
Interestingly, a number of the same respondents also felt that additional recycling centers might help boost UBC recycling rates. Increasing the number of recycling centers in a community was cited by 22 percent of respondents as a way to increase recycling rates. This was the number one response chosen.
Recyclers may also be encouraged by the support for recycling among those between the ages of 18 and 34. These younger age ranges showed the strongest approval of government-supported recycling collection, with 88 percent of those 18-24 years old and 84 percent of those 25-34 years old agreeing that local governments should operate tax-supported curbside programs.