Cyclical Nature of Aluminum

In case you didn’t know, aluminum can be recycled over and over again due to the nature of its atomic structure. The life cycle of aluminum does not adhere to the “cradle-to-grave” pattern that is typical of many other materials. “Cradle-to-grave” is a term that describes the life of a product from its beginning up until the point that the product is discarded or can no longer be used for another purpose. Conversely, aluminum follows the “cradle-to-cradle” design whereby a product is created and has the composition to be used endlessly in the future. This feature of aluminum lends itself to significant energy savings given that re-melting aluminum takes a mere 5% of the power necessary in primary production of virgin aluminum. Less demand for energy results in a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The aluminum industry boasts that the global energy savings each year from recycling aluminum is in the ballpark of 215,000 gigawatt hours- equal to the total annual electricity used in all of Australia! Keep your aluminum in the cycle by recycling those cans!

Curbside Recycling- Starting to Make “Cents”

A New York Times article from May 2008 indicates that the cost to operate curbside recycling for New York City residents is finally becoming more competitive with trash disposal costs. Historically, the costs for providing a residential curbside recycling program have been substantially higher per ton than the costs to simply haul away the material as garbage to a landfill. Just a few years ago in 2004, New York City spent around $34 to $48 a ton more to recycle than to ship garbage to the landfill. This year, however, the price difference has dwindled to just $17 a ton more for recycling, underscoring the rising costs of sending garbage to landfills in other states and the increase in redemption values for recyclables. The City is beginning to realize that increased participation in curbside recycling yields more revenues from recyclables as well as savings from paying fewer tipping fees at the landfill. Recycling is really starting to make “cents” in more ways than one!