Brazil sets recycling world record
Brazil’s aluminium beverage cans recycling rate reached 98.3% in 2011 – a new world record.
According to data provided by the Brazilian Aluminium Association (ABAL) and the Brazilian Aluminium Can Makers Association (ABRALATAS), of the total 253.1 kton aluminium can shipments in 2011, 248.7 kton were recycled (excluding UBC imports).
Renault de Freitas Castro, CEO of ABRALATAS, says the beverage can manufacturing industry has been investing continuously to meet the demand.
He said: “The industry increased in 2012 its productive capacity by 9.5% going from 21 billion to 23 billion units per year. An expectation of 7% growth in the consumption of cans.”
Carlos Roberto de Morais, coordinator of ABAL’s recycling committee, added: “This result has its foundation in a chain structured more than 20 years ago and that guarantees a strong and consistent demand that remunerates all the links involved therein.”
The collection of aluminium beverage cans has injected R$645 million into the domestic economy. In addition, because it only consumes 5% of electric power when compared to the primary metal process, the recycling of 248.7 thousand tons produced savings of 3.780 GW.h to the country, a figure equivalent to the domestic residential market of 6.5 million people in two million households.
