Aluminum

Did you know…?

Lorenzo and Feather with aluminum bales

Lorenzo and Feather with aluminum bales

Aluminum cans are recycled at all Taos County transfer stations. There are separate “totes” for aluminum and steel cans at each station. Please separate your steel and aluminum cans so that county recycling and transfer station personnel don’t have to.

Aluminum baking pans, pie plates, cat food cans, and foil can be problematic to recycle, as they may contain food waste that attracts vermin. Keeping in mind that water is a precious resource, please rinse these items before recycling them in the aluminum tote. Ball up the foil before recycling.

Aluminum is the most valuable recyclable the county collects. At the processor, it sells for $0.50-$0.80 per pound. This income funds a significant portion of the county’s recycling efforts. Support your community and pick up aluminum cans wherever you see them!

Recycling is a critical part of the modern aluminum business.

  • Recycled aluminum only requires around 5% of the energy needed to make new aluminum, reducing carbon emissions and saving businesses and consumers money.
  • Nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today, as shown by comprehensive industry data.
  • In many industrial markets, such as automotive and construction, recycling rates for aluminum exceed 90%. 
  • Industry recycling efforts in the U.S. save more than 90 million barrels of oil equivalent each year.
  • By recycling all of our aluminum beverage cans, we could save over $800 million for the U.S. economy each year.
  • Recycled aluminum makes up 80% of U.S. aluminum production.
  • Aluminum cans contain 73% recycled content on average, up to 20 times more than plastic bottles.

First aluminum bale made with new PC24 baler*The Aluminum Association

At the processing facility, cans are washed and shredded, and any steel is separated from the material with a magnet.  The scrap is melted and poured into ingots. Aluminum is often alloyed with other metals like copper, zinc, magnesium, or silicon for specialty uses.

  • Approximately 200 billion aluminum beverage cans are purchased by consumers around the world each year.
  • In the U.S., only 50% of aluminum cans are recycled. 
  • In the United States, $1 billion worth of aluminum cans are thrown away each year.
  • The turnaround time for a recycled aluminum can to be turned into a new aluminum can is just 60 days.

*Greentumble.com

In 1904, the first two aluminum can recycling plants were built in the United States: one in Chicago, Illinois, and the other in Cleveland, Ohio. Aluminum recycling increased most significantly in volume when metal resources were strained during WWI, as the U.S. government campaigned for civilians to donate old products such as aluminum pots, pans, boats, vehicles, and toys to recycle for the construction of aluminum airframes. 

  • What are the benefits of aluminum recycling?
  • Job creation: Contributing to more than 100,000 jobs in reprocessing to the United States economy.
  • Economic activity: Bringing about $1.6 billion in material sales.
  • Increased employment:  Jobs in waste management and the recycling industry were projected to grow from $2.1 billion to $5 billion.
  • Energy conservation: Saving enough energy to power 1.5 million homes per year.
  • Waste management: Keeping more than 1 million tons of waste out of landfills every year.

*Wikipedia

Taos County Transfer Station Locations:

https://taoscounty.org/368/Solid-Waste-Operations