The Aluminum Association, Can Manufacturers Institute and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries announced that the US recycling rate for aluminum beverage containers jumped seven percentage points from 58.1% to 65.1% for 2011.

That means 61 billion cans were recycled in 2011, a milestone that marks solid progress toward the industry’s goal of 75% recycle rate. The higher recycling rate also secures the aluminum can’s position as the most recycled beverage container. Aluminum cans are recycled at a rate that is more than double that of any other beverage container.

Mr Heidi Brock president of the Aluminum Association said that “We are excited to have made strong progress toward our goal to increase the aluminum can recycling rate to 75%. But we need the help of every American to continue to raise the rate. There is much more work still to be done here in the United States to reach our goal by 2015. The Aluminum Association’s Can Committee, composed of Alcoa, Tri Arrows Aluminum and Golden Aluminum, along with the entire can industry is committed to continuing efforts to increase the aluminum can recycling rate.”

Mr Allison Buchanan of Alcoa the Association’s Can Committee Chair said that “Cans are an obvious green packaging choice because it takes 95 percent less energy to produce a can from recycled material, resulting in significant energy, emissions and resource savings. The amount of energy saved just from recycling cans in 2011 is equal to the energy equivalent of over 17 million barrels of crude oil. That’s the amount of oil needed to fuel more than 1 million vehicles on the road for 12 months. Interestingly, that same amount of energy equivalency that recycling cans saved, is also what it takes to produce the 29 billion plastic water bottles Americans consume each year, 1. What’s more, these savings can be realized over and over again due to the infinite recyclability inherent in aluminum cans. That means the cans we recycle after our upcoming Labor Day barbeques will be back on the store shelf as new cans by Halloween; not just this year but for many years to come.”

Mr Robert Budway president of the Can Manufacturers Institute said that “We are thrilled about the continued growth in aluminum can recycling rates. Metal can be used forever if we keep it out of landfills and higher recycling rates benefit the economy, people and the planet, optimizing the can’s environmental footprint. We thank consumers for recognizing the can’s value in the recycling stream and helping us to maintain the can’s endless recycling loop.”

Mr Joe Pickard chief economist at ISRI said that “As the first link in the supply chain, the scrap recycling industry is dedicated to meeting manufacturing’s vital raw materials needs including the growing demand for recycled aluminum and used beverage containers while serving as an environmental steward. In 2011, aluminum recovered from purchased scrap in the United States increased 8% to more than 3 million tonnes, while at the same time total US aluminum scrap exports rose 12% to more than 2.1 million tonnes.”