Jan. 22, 2008 -- Alcoa aims to raise the aluminum industry's used beverage can (UBC) recycling rate in North America from its current rate of 52% to 75% by 2015. The company says it will work with industry groups to improve processing technique and make recycling and collection more convenient for consumers.

The aluminum industry must work together for common sustainability goals that transcend individual commercial objectives, and we must approach this with a sense of urgency. It's all about recapturing this pool of energy before it is lost to the landfill,"ƒ†â€™ƒÂ¢¢â€šÂ¬…¡ƒ¢â‚¬Å¡ƒâ€š‚ says Greg Wittbecker, Alcoa's director of corporate metal recycling strategy. Recycled aluminum requires 95% less energy to produce and can be recycled a multitude of times, Wittbecker notes.

Only about 800,000 tons of the more than 1.5 million tons of UBCs generated in the U.S. each year are recycled. The U.S. recycling rate has fallen steadily from its high of 68% in 1992, Wittbecker says, thanks to including inconvenient collection systems, technological limitations in coated scrap processing, and lack of industry focus on recycling goals.

Alcoa last month kicked off a $22 million investment to expand recycling capacity at its Tennessee Operations by nearly 50%.