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The US could save around $800 million each year by recycling aluminum cans that currently end up in landfills

Issued at 2022-01-21



State Legislatures Consider Deposit Legislation: With a new year comes new legislative sessions in the states. New sessions provide an opportunity for the association to consider how state legislative activity affects the aluminum industry.

One area of increasing industry and association focus at the state-level is advocating for beverage container deposit programs as a way to improve the existing 45% nationwide recycling rate for aluminum cans. In coordination with the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), the association is engaging in multiple areas to support the expansion of well-designed beverage container deposit-return programs in the states.

We’ve already seen a few notable developments this year: the Virginia House of Delegates introduced model deposit legislation closely aligned with our container deposit program principles; the New Hampshire legislature introduced deposit legislation; and the West Virginia legislature also introduced deposit legislation.

Enacting any proposed legislation is a long and complex process, but it is worth the effort considering that the highest quantity and quality of used beverage cans comes from states with beverage container deposit programs. An analysis by environmental research firm Circular Matters showed that while the 10 U.S. deposit states consume about a quarter of all beverage cans, they generate more than a third of all cans recycled


Source: aluminum.org



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