Aluminum beverage cans are outstanding in recycling, because they have a high consumption rate and a lifecycle much lower than other aluminum products. Can recycling has taken Brazil to the world leadership of this activity for ten consecutive years. In 2010, Brazil was, once again, the leading country in the rate of aluminum beverage cans recycling, with 97.6%. It recycled 239.1 thousand ton of can scrap, corresponding to 17.7 billion units, or 48.5 million per day, or 2 million per hour. Currently, in approximately 30 days, an aluminum beverage can may be bought at a supermarket, used, collected, recycled and returned to the shelves for consumption.
With the efforts made by the recycling chain – sheet manufacturers, can manufacturers, beverage bottlers, cooperatives and recycling companies – and by the Government, by means of making the population aware, the aluminum can recycling program is currently a successful experience with high social, economic and environmental influence. In 2010, the collection stage only (purchase of used cans) injected around R$ 555 million in the domestic economy, the equivalent to generating employment and income for 251 thousand people.
This is the result of the combination of several aspects. The most important of them is the fact that the country has an already established recycling market in all of its regions. In addition, ease of collection, transportation and marketing, as well as the high value of aluminum scrap, allied to high availability along the entire year, motivated the recycling of aluminum beverage cans, in addition to causing changes in the consumers´ behavior.
In addition to the social and economic benefits, the recycling of aluminum cans also favors the environment. The recycling process uses only 5% of electric power ant the emission of greenhouse effect gas is of 5% as compared to the production of primary aluminum, according to the International Aluminium Institute.
The importance of aluminum cans recycling for the recycling activity in Brazil, is well known since, by increasing the population´s ecological awareness, it stimulates the collection of other materials.
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