Closing the material loop
The market for post-consumer aluminum has created an economic incentive that has led to high recycling rates in many economies. Depending on the industry, up to 90% of the aluminum used in automobiles, buildings and electrical systems is recycled. In Québec, the recycling rate for aluminum cans is about 70%.
In the United States, Alcoa operates the largest aluminum can recycling facility in the world in the city of Alcoa, Tennessee. It is also very active in encouraging people to recycle their cans. Various initiatives have been launched to close the material loop with clients, including agreements to repurchase recyclable materials from the automobile industry and launching a post-consumer recycling initiative for lithographic sheets from the printing industry (more).
Alcoa does not have recycling operations in Canada. However, through the Aluminum Association of Canada, it supports the activities of the Table de récupération hors foyer, which aims to increase recycling rates for various products, including aluminum, in public places.
