Aluminum recycling is a very old activity in Brazil; it began together with the implementation of the aluminum industry in the country. In the 1920īs, when we have the first records of aluminum utensils production in the country, the industry used scrap imported from various countries as raw material. In the 1990īs, with the beginning of can production in Brazil, metal recycling was intensified, with increasingly higher volumes.
Aluminum scrap can be used in the manufacturing of items for diverse segments, such as packaging, civil construction, automotive, steel industry and consumer goods (ashtrays, pencil holders, etc). This is aluminumīs major advantage, since it leaves the production chain after used and may be reutilized in various segments, generating gains for the entire cycle.
In 2007 Brazil recycled 324 thousand ton of aluminum, above the world average, which amounts to 29.3%. In aluminum beverage cans, the Country recycled 160.6 thousand ton of scrap, corresponding to 11.9 billion units, or 32.6 million per day, or 1.4 million per hour. For the seventh year in a row, the country has led the recycling of aluminum beverage cans, among countries where this activity is not compulsory by law- such as Japan, which, in 2007 recycled 92.7% of cans; Argentina (90.5%), and United States (53.8%) and among European countries, where material recycling laws are quite strict, and which presented an average rate of 57.7%.
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Brazilian Aluminum Industry
Sustainable Development |
