- Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin ore.
- In 1972, 53 million pounds of aluminum cans were recycled. Today, that amount is exceeded by 1,612 million pounds.
- Aluminum cans distinguish themselves as the most recycled and most recyclable beverage container in the world. An awesome 105,784 cans are recycled every minute nationwide.
- Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to a store shelf as a new can in as few as 60 days. That means a consumer could purchase basically the same recycled aluminum can from a retailer's shelf nearly every 9 weeks, or 6 times a year.
- In 2004, Americans recycled about 1.52 billion pounds of aluminum, which equals the weight of 13 air craft carriers.
- Americans earn about $1 billion a year recycling aluminum cans. A used aluminum can returned to a recycling center is worth about a penny to consumer recyclers.
- For each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources to generate about 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That's enough energy to meet the electric needs of a city the size of Pittsburgh, PA for six years.
- Beverage containers represent less than 20 percent of the materials collected in curbside recycling programs, and they generate up to 70 percent of total scrap value. Aluminum cans are the most valuable commodity to curbside programs, helping to pay for the collection of other containers.
- Aluminum can recycling rate is better than1 out of 2 cans.
- Using recycled aluminum beverage cans to produce new cans allows the aluminum can industry to make up to 20 times more cans for the same amount of energy.
- It's estimated that, since 1972, some 18.7 million tons of aluminum have been recycled. These 1,099 billion aluminum cans, placed end-to-end, could stretch to the moon and back some 174 times.
- Aluminum cans have amazing strength. Four six-packs (24 cans) can hold a 4,000-pound aluminum-bodied sedan.
- In 2003, Americans recycled 62.6 billion aluminum cans. Those cans, placed end-to-end, could make 171 circles around the earth.
- Since 1972, Americans have recycled 37 billion lbs., or 1,099 trillion, aluminum cans, and have earned over $25 billion by recycling aluminum beverage cans.
- Every minute of everyday, an average of 105,800 aluminum cans are recycled.
- When you think it is hot, consider the following: Did you know that aluminum begins to melt at a whopping 1,220 degrees Fahrenheit?
- Over the past 10 years, the number of aluminum cans recycled has doubled.
- The average employee consumes 2.5 cans of soda each day at work.
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
- Enough aluminum cans were recycled in 2002 to fill a hollow Empire State Building 24 times.
- Each year, Americans receive enough money from recycling aluminum cans that every kid in the U.S. could buy two movie tickets.
- The number of cans recycled every 30 seconds equals the number of people who could fill an entire pro football stadium.
- Every 3 seconds, a baby is born. In that time, 140 cans are born.
- If the 2003 Corvette convertible was on a seesaw, it would take 107,214 used aluminum cans on the other side to balance the car.
- In 2001, beverage cans delivered 9,409 billion gallons of pure refreshing beverage-enough to fill 37,634 Olympic pools.
- 10,433 empty aluminum beverage cans weigh as much as Shaq O'Neal.
- The side of an aluminum can is the same thickness as a human hair.
- In 2001, Americans bought 351 aluminum beverage cans per person, twice as many as in 1980.
- The average American family recycles 150 six packs of aluminum cans a year.
- Used aluminum cans are melted down into ingots that can weigh as much as 30,000 tons. That's enough aluminum to make 1.6 million cans.
- Aluminum never wears out. It can be recycled forever.
- Americans drink an average of 380 beverages in aluminum cans each year.
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough electricity to run your TV for 6 Jimmy Neutron Episodes.
- If Californians recycled all of the aluminum cans they buy in one day, we would have enough aluminum to make 17 Boeing 727 jets.
- Recycling 1 ton of aluminum saves the equivalent energy of 2,350 gallons of gasoline. This is equivalent to the amount of electricity used by the typical home over a period of 10 years.
- Using recycled aluminum beverage cans to produce new cans allows the aluminum can industry to make up to 20 times more cans for the same amount of energy.
- The energy saved each year through recycled cans could light the city of Washington, D.C. for 3.7 years.
- All aluminum cans recycled since 1972 would stretch from New York to Los Angeles and back 15,939 times.
- Recycling aluminum creates 97% less water pollution than producing new metal from ore.
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