The importance of recycling has never been greater. Recycling helps our planet by sustaining our natural resources and helps our economy by lowering the cost of raw materials and reducing the energy costs to process them.

Aluminum has positive sustainability benefits due to its recyclability. Although the production of primary aluminum is an energy-intensive process, aluminum recycling uses just 5% to 8% of the energy required to produce primary aluminum. This makes aluminum scrap recycling even more impactful.

• Over 1 billion tons of primary aluminum has been produced since 1888, when the production of aluminum began; 75% of all that aluminum ever produced is still in productive use today!
• In North America, the industry recycles approximately 5 million tons of aluminum each year.
• The aluminum industry is working constantly to reduce its carbon impact. In fact, over the past 30 years, the North American aluminum industry has cut its carbon footprint by more than half.