Aluminum beverage cans are worth mentioning in recycling because they have high consumption and a much shorter life cycle than the one presented by other aluminum products. The recycling of tin has led Brazil to world leadership in the activity consecutively since 2001. In 2014, Brazil held the world record of recycling aluminum beverage cans, with the 98.4% rate. Were 289,500 tonnes of recycled scrap cans, which corresponds to 22.9 billion packages, which corresponds to 62.7 million / day, or 2.6 million / hour. Currently, in approximately 60 days, one aluminum can beverage can be purchased, used, collected, recycled, bottled and return to the shelves for consumption.

With the efforts performed by the recycling chain – plates manufacturers, cans, beverage bottlers, cooperatives and recyclers – and the Government, through public awareness, the aluminum can recycling program is now a successful experience with great influence social, economic and environmental. In 2014, only the collection stage (purchase of used cans) injected around R $ 845 million in the national economy, generating jobs and income for thousands of people. This is the result of a combination of several aspects. The main one is the fact that the country has a recycling market already established in all its regions. In addition, ease of collection, transportation and sale and the high value of aluminum scrap, combined with the wide availability throughout the year, encouraged the recycling of aluminum beverage cans, also causing changes in consumer behavior.

In addition to the social and economic benefits, the recycling of aluminum cans also favors the environment. The recycling process uses only 5% of the electricity and releases only 5% of greenhouse gas emissions compared with primary aluminum production, according to the International Aluminium Institute. It is notorious the importance of aluminum cans for recycling activity in Brazil, since, by strengthening the ecological awareness of the population, ultimately stimulate the collection of other materials.

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