Aluminum Cans Become the Focus of Making Recycling Sustainable

From its status as the symbol of roadside trash in the 1970s, the humble aluminum can has risen to become the single most valuable commodity in the national recycling stream.

While aluminum cans represent only 3% of the weight of the material collected for recycling in the US, they generate one-third of the total value of all recycled materials, according to the Recycling Partnership. That's more than $2 billion a year.

Just as important, it takes 93% less electricity to turn old aluminum cans into new cans than it does to make primary metal from raw materials.

That combination of economic and environmental factors has put the spotlight on post-consumer can recycling as state and local governments and the waste-management industry sort out their priorities.

What makes the most sense is not always clear because recycling is both a service — one that reduces pollution and keeps valuable materials out of landfills — and a big business. In 2020, the waste-management industry produced 526 million metric tons of recycled goods; its 681,000 jobs cost almost $40 billion in wages, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That means multiple interests, usually collaborating, sometimes competing.

Even with apparent clarity on the primacy of aluminum cans, recycling rates have declined in recent years, according to a July report by the Container Recycling Institute. The environmental advocacy group notes states with container deposit laws have recycling rates twice as high as those without them.

A plan from the Can Manufacturers Institute, a trade group, to increase recycling rates starts with expanding deposit laws and adds steps such as implementing a well-designed deposit system, improving household recycling, ensuring more cans are properly sorted at recycling centers, and increasing consumer understanding of aluminum-can recycling.

The National Stewardship Action Council — a network that advocates for a circular economy — is among those leading the push for bottle bills, both nationally and among states. These laws require money up front when purchasing beverage containers. "My highest priority is a national bottle bill," Heidi Sanborn, the council's executive director, said. "We in this country have set the system to be market-driven, so the cost of recycling should be embedded in the cost of the goods."

Scott Breen, the vice president of sustainability at the Can Manufacturers Institute, told Insider a well-designed deposit system accommodated government, environmental, and business interests.

"The goal for everyone is efficient and effective recovery of valuable resources," he said. "Beverage cans are the things in which there can be the most confidence. If it gets into the system, it is going to be recycled."

The main idea is a return to the concept that consumers buy the beverage but only borrow the bottle or can. Sanborn added that while recycling facilities had a role to play, they weren't the only party involved.

"We need multiple approaches, and we encourage can makers, beverage companies, and recycling operators to be at the table," she said.

While there's confidence in aluminum cans, the economics are less consistent with other materials.

According to data provided to Insider by The Recycling Partnership, which is a nonprofit that works to support curbside recycling, mixed paper is the single largest category of recycled materials — representing 40% of the total weight. But at just 16% of the total value, it isn't as profitable.

Cardboard has a more balanced ratio of 14% of the stream of recycled materials by weight, and about 11% by value, based on the same dataset.

Plastic materials differ by category. Based on the data provided by The Recycling Partnership, soda bottles (PET, aka PETE) account for almost one-quarter of the value of recycled materials, but represent only 7% of the total weight. Nontinted milk jugs are the second type (HDPE, No. 2). That represents more than 8% of the total value but only 1% of the weight.

The data shows all remaining plastics combined are less than 1% of the weight and value. Given the costs of sorting, they represent a slight net loss: a classic case of reduce or reuse, rather than recycle.

Most surprising may be the shattered image of glass. Mixed glass bottles and jars represent 20% of total weight but are a significant net loss to the recycling system, according to The Recycling Partnership dataset. Glass is heavy, so it's costly to transport. Broken pieces are difficult to sort and risk contaminating paper and cardboard. On average, materials-recovery facilities take a loss of $24 on every ton of glass in the general recycling stream.

Some municipalities and commercial processors collect glass separately from the general stream. Some report breaking even on glass, and a few large-volume operations turn a small profit. Many municipalities are content to take the loss because fees at landfills are often based on weight so removing glass can reduce fees.

One thing on which all parties agree is that "wish-cycling," or placing questionable items into recycling bins, is counterproductive. Plastic grocery bags and dry-cleaning bags are often put into recycling bins, but they tend to get tangled and disable the sorting machines.

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