SECONDARY RECYCLING/BEVERAGE CANS-THE PUBLIC FACE OF METAL RECYCLING

摘要

Although the industry maintains that the aluminium beverage can continues to be the most recycled consumer beverage package in the USA and globally and Is the only packaging material that more than covers the cost of collection and reprocess-1112, the can recycling rate in the United States is in decline. Even the far higher recycling rates achieved in the ten US states with container deposit laws have fallen and the Aluminum Association says there is little appetite politically to increase the number of states operating deposit laws or to bring in federal legislation on packaging deposits. A spokesman for the association comments that a lack of urgency among municipalities regarding recycling has led to a decline in consumer participation for used beverage cans (UBCs) and other packaging. Also, that while the US government mandated landfill waste diversion initiatives citing landfill space issues, many of these have not come to bear, so municipal governments do not currently have much incentive to encourage consumers. US aluminium can collection peaked in 1992 with recycling rate of 67.9 percent yielding 2.14bn pounds (972.7kt) of metal. Last year it was 50 percent yielding 1.48bn pounds (672.7kt) down from over 53 percent in 2002. The country is a significant exporter of UBCs, notably to Mexico, Europe and Asia. Annual US aluminium beverage can production is around l00bn units.