The Aluminum Association, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI) and the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) jointly have announced that the U.S. recycling rate for used beverage cans (UBCs) reached 58.1 percent in 2010, more than double the rate of any other beverage container.
The associations say approximately 56 billion UBCs were recycled in 2010, the highest recycling rate in 11 years.
"We are pleased the recycling rate has increased from last year,” says Steve Larkin, president of the Aluminum Association. “This is a boost for our industry and further evidence that the aluminum beverage can is the best environmental and sustainability packaging option.”
He adds, “Of course we must do more at the federal, state and local levels to enact recycling policies and awareness and this is a task we continue to pursue aggressively. We continue to look for partners who are also sincere about making a real change in how we approach recycling in the U.S. today."
Robert Budway, CMI president, says, "There's a huge difference between what's recyclable and what's actually recycled. Not only are cans infinitely recyclable back into new cans, they actually are being recycled at a rate nearly twice that of every other beverage package. This, coupled with the fact that aluminum cans have the highest recycled content and provide the longest shelf life of any beverage package, underscores why the can truly is the sustainable solution for 21st century packaging."
Robin Wiener, president of ISRI, adds, "As the first link in the manufacturing supply chain, the scrap recycling industry provides vital feedstock material sought after by industrial customers around the world, including more than 4.6 million metric tons of aluminum scrap processed in the United States and shipped throughout the United States and more than 50 countries in 2010.”
In 2008, the Aluminum Association adopted a goal of recycling 75 percent of UBCs by 2015.