Here are 10 important and interesting facts about recycling aluminum materials…
-A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
-Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
-Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours — or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
-More aluminum goes into beverage cans than any other product.
-Because so many of them are recycled, aluminum cans account for less than 1% of the total U.S. waste stream, according to EPA estimates.
-An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!
-There is no limit to the amount of times aluminum materials can be recycled.
-We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year.
-At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!
-A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes!
To learn more about the process aluminum recycling, and how to begin recycling yourself, please visit Earth911.