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Facts About Recycling Aluminum Cans

Aluminum is one of those materials that can be recycled over and over again without compromising the elements of the metal. Today, many aluminum cans used to hold soda or other food and beverage products in the United States are made from 50 percent new aluminum and 50 percent recycled aluminum. Because of recycling efforts in the United States, that dates back to the mid 1990s, millions of aluminum cans are kept out of landfills every year.

Why Recycle?
- Aluminum is one of the easiest metals to recycle and since it is one of the most common substances used to hold inexpensive foods and beverages, there are millions of aluminum containers used and disposed of on a yearly basis in the United States alone.
Energy
- It takes more than 90 percent less energy to create an aluminum can made of 50 percent recycled materials than it does to create a can made of 100 percent new materials.
Excavating Raw Materials
- The process of excavating the raw materials used to make aluminum from the earth, the refining process and the cost of shipping the materials to production plants is extremely cost intensive.
Landfills
- There are millions upon millions of aluminum cans dumped in landfills each year in the United States and around the world. It's estimated that each year, close to 40 million cans are thrown away instead of recycled.
Money Lost
- The monetary value of millions of aluminum cans sitting in landfills is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars.

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