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SCRAP/RECYCLING: WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE EXPLORES THE COMPETITION FOR ALUMINUM CANSArkansas Environmental, Energy, and Water Law Blog

10/02/2012Author: Walter G. Wright A September 25, 2012 Wall Street Journal article titled The Aluminum Can Wars Begin addresses the increasing competition for aluminum cans. The article opens by noting an example of the route an aluminum beer can takes after being consumed at a bar, baled with 25,000 other cans and then shipped to an Alcoa, Inc. plant where it is melted and rolled into thin strips. The article notes that the strips may travel to a can factory, where it may be made into a Miller Coors can. The article discusses the competition between Alcoa, an Atlanta-based Novelis operation. As the article notes, making cans from recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than manufacturing them from raw materials such as bauxite (quoting the Aluminum Association of Washington, D.C.). Aluminum is apparently one of the easiest metals to recycle. The article notes:

In 60 days, a can of beer can be sold, trashed, collected, melted, turned into sheet, cast into a new can and filled again with fermented barley.

Aluminum cans also have significant value. Cans apparently make up 2% of the volume of recyclables, but 40% of the value. It is also interesting to note the biggest aggregate source of scrap remains scrap yards. The article estimates that scrap yards collect and sell about 40% of all recycled aluminum cans.