Home ยป Did You Know? Key Facts about Aluminum and Recycling

Did You Know? Key Facts about Aluminum and Recycling

  • The aluminum can is infinitely recyclable. A recycled can is back on the store shelves in as little as 60 days—using 95% less energy then creating a can from new metal.
  • 105,593 cans are recycled every minute in the U.S.
  • Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for nearly two hours.
  • Alcoa operates one of the largest recycling facilitates in the world in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • The aluminum can has 68% total recycled content, the highest of any beverage package material.
  • In 2009, aluminum cans had the highest recycling rate of any beverage container in the United States, at 57.4%.
  • Alcoa has a target to increase  aluminum beverage can recyclingto 75% by 2015, putting our country among the top recyclers in the world.
  • If every American recycled just one more can a week, we would reach our goal.
  • In 2009, Americans recycled 55.5 billion aluminum cans. Those cans, placed end-to-end, could make 148 circles around the earth.
  • Today’s beverage can weighs only 0.466 ounces, more than 15 % lighter than in 1993.
  • Today, energy needed to make of an aluminum can  is 30% lower than it was in 1993.
  • Visit the Alcoa Recycles website to find a recycling center in your community
  • Got an iPhone? Download the Aluminate app!
  • Calculate your ‘greener’ footprint using the Make an Impact carbon calculator !