Aluminum is the most highly recycled item in the United States. This should come as no surprise. Soda (next to alcohol) is the most popular drink by a large margin, and many of these purchases are canned sodas. Aluminum Recyclers in Baltimore see incredible volumes of cans come into the plant every week. These recycling centers are contributing to a healthier and more viable Earth. Below are five exciting and surprising facts about recycling aluminum in 2016 and how it has changed in the last decade. Though there are a lot of bad things to consider when it comes to product waste, the country has made major strides.
• Aluminum cannot reach a recycling peak. It can be recycled indefinitely, and many cans have been. It is actually the only major material that has no cap for how many times it can be reprocessed and recycled.
• A can that is recycled will take just under 60 days to get back to a store shelf. Local Aluminum Recyclers in Baltimore help make that possible. Americans who take their cans to a local plant can actually shorten that period by about a week and reduce energy costs.
• Aluminum recycling giants have collectively agreed to set a new high watermark for 2015. Some of the biggest have made a public goal to increase aluminum recycling to 75% by the end of 2015. The results are still being studied, but the actual goal is more than reachable. If every American added one more can from their trash to their recycling container every week, the goal would be surpassed.
• The total energy used to recycle an aluminum can is about 30% less than it was in 1990. New technological methods, faster transferring of materials, and outsourced equipment creation has helped cut costs.
• A single can of soda has about 68% recycled materials. This is the highest in recycled contents, even higher than cardboard or newspapers.
Mid-Atlantic Metals Inc has made massive strides in the community. They recycle aluminum and gather materials from local providers for copper and metal recycling as well. In all, their efforts have helped contribute to an environmentally-conscious America.
