Recycle Activities
Since the aluminium industry started in Australia, recycling has been
recognised as a way of saving energy and reducing pollution. Australian
aluminium producers were among the first to recognise the secondary use
of aluminium during the 1940s, and by the 1970s had established an extensive
network of aluminium scrap collection points around the country.
Image: insert photo of baled aluminium cans for recycling (pg 8, Alcoa
PDF doc)
Recycling rates have risen dramatically since the 1970s and millions of
dollars have been given back to the community through the sale of cans
back to aluminium companies.
Australian aluminium beverage recycling can rates:
|
Year
|
Used Al beverage cans collected (000s
tonnes)
|
Used Al cans collected (millions)
|
% of Al cans collected
|
|
1973
|
n/a
|
18.60
|
9.00
|
|
1980
|
11.35
|
550.00
|
46.00
|
|
1981
|
13.85
|
680.00
|
50.00
|
|
1982
|
14.66
|
733.00
|
50.00
|
|
1983
|
14.69
|
752.00
|
54.00
|
|
1984
|
15.92
|
816.00
|
56.00
|
|
1985
|
15.69
|
820.00
|
53.00
|
|
1986
|
17.89
|
950.00
|
53.00
|
|
1987
|
19.05
|
1100.00
|
54.00
|
|
1988
|
22.36
|
1300.00
|
56.00
|
|
1989
|
26.50
|
1567.00
|
62.00
|
|
1990
|
28.68
|
1700.00
|
62.90
|
|
1991
|
28.42
|
1698.00
|
61.80
|
|
1992
|
25.89
|
1564.00
|
61.00
|
|
1993
|
25.40
|
1575.00
|
60.50
|
|
1994
|
26.60
|
1730.00
|
64.00
|
|
1995
|
24.38
|
1657.50
|
65.30
|
|
1996
|
25.63
|
1643.00
|
63.80
|
|
1997
|
25.47
|
1665.00
|
63.00
|
|
1998
|
24.20
|
1617.00
|
64.00
|
|
1999
|
|
|
66.50
|
|
2000
|
|
|
70.40
|
|
Reference: Aluminium Can Group, George
Unger & Associates and Kaal Australia.
|
