How are Aluminum Cans Recycled?

Lightweight progress of aluminum can lids is also evident. The thickness of the aluminum material for can lids decreased from 0.39 mm in the early 1960s to 0.36 mm in the 1970s, from 0.28 mm to 0.30 mm in 1980, and to 0.24 mm in the mid-1980s. The lid diameter has also been reduced. The weight of the lid has continued to decrease. In 1974, the weight of a thousand aluminum cans was 13 pounds, 12 pounds in 1980, 11 pounds in 1984, 10 pounds in 1986, 9 pounds in 1990 and 1992, respectively. 8 pounds, down to 6.6 pounds in 2002. The speed of can-making has been greatly improved, from 650 to 1000 cpm (only per minute) in the 1970s to 1,000 to 1750 cpm in the 1980s and above 2000 cpm.

Aluminum cans

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Lightweight progress of aluminum can lids is also evident. The thickness of the aluminum material for can lids decreased from 0.39 mm in the early 1960s to 0.36 mm in the 1970s, from 0.28 mm to 0.30 mm in 1980, and to 0.24 mm in the mid-1980s. The lid diameter has also been reduced. The weight of the lid has continued to decrease. In 1974, the weight of a thousand aluminum cans was 13 pounds, 12 pounds in 1980, 11 pounds in 1984, 10 pounds in 1986, 9 pounds in 1990 and 1992, respectively. 8 pounds, down to 6.6 pounds in 2002. The speed of can-making has been greatly improved, from 650 to 1000 cpm (only per minute) in the 1970s to 1,000 to 1750 cpm in the 1980s and above 2000 cpm.

Chinese name

Aluminum cans

Foreign name

Aluminum ring pull end

Attributes

Cans

Related field

Beer industry

Related majors

Metal utilization

metal

Aluminum beverage cans first appeared in the late 1950s, and two DWI cans were officially launched in the early 1960s. Aluminum cans have developed very rapidly. By the end of this century, the annual consumption has exceeded 180 billion, which is the largest number in the world's total metal cans (about 400 billion). The consumption of aluminum materials used to make aluminum cans has also increased rapidly. It was close to zero in 1963 and reached 3.6 million tons in 1997, equivalent to 15% of the total consumption of various aluminum materials in the world.

The United States is the world's largest producer and consumer of aluminum beverage cans. The number of aluminum cans used in the United States exceeded 62 billion in 1984, more than 70 billion in 1987, more than 80 billion in 1988, more than 90 billion in 1990, and more than 100 billion in 1994. American aluminum cans are mainly used for packaging beverages. For example, in 1992, there were 92.8 billion aluminum cans for beverages, accounting for 97% of the total beverage cans of 95.7 billion, and tin cans were only 2.9 billion, accounting for 3%. In 2001, nearly 100 billion aluminum cans for beer and soft drinks were used in the United States, of which 64 billion were soft drink cans and 33 billion were beer cans. The production of aluminum cans in Japan has increased for many years, from 3 billion in 1985 to 5.5 billion in 1987, 8.1 billion in 1989, 10.2 billion in 1991, 11.8 billion in 1993, and 1995 15.9 billion in 1997 and 16.6 billion in 1997. Most of the aluminum cans are beer cans. For example, in 1997, 9.5 billion were 57%, carbonated beverage cans were 3.5 billion and 21%, and other beverage cans were 3 billion. Only, accounting for 18%. Since the mid-1980s, the European beverage can market has been showing steady growth. In 1990, the consumption of beverage cans in Europe exceeded 20 billion for the first time, reaching 25 billion in 1993, and exceeding 30 billion in 1995. It fell by 2% in 1996, from 32.2 billion in the previous year to 31.6 billion. In 1997, the European beverage can market resumed steady growth again, with an annual growth rate of 5%, and the total consumption rose to 33.5 billion, the highest level in history. Among them, 18.5 billion cans of refreshing beverages, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year, and 15 billion cans of beer, an increase of 7% over the previous year. Tin cans and aluminum cans each account for about half of European beverage cans. The consumption of aluminum cans in Central and South America is also relatively large, with nearly 20 billion per year. The annual consumption of aluminum cans in Asia (excluding Japan) is no less than 20 billion. China's aluminum cans now consume more than 8 billion each year.

For decades, the manufacturing technology of aluminum cans has been continuously improved. The weight of aluminum cans has been greatly reduced. In the early 1960s, the weight of 1,000 aluminum cans (including the can body and the lid) reached 55 pounds (about 25 kg), and dropped to 44.8 pounds (25 in the 1970s). Kilograms), reduced to 33 pounds (15 kilograms) in the late 1990s, and has now dropped to less than 30 pounds, a decrease of nearly half from 40 years ago. In the 20 years from 1975 to 1995, the number of aluminum cans (capacity: 12 ounces) made from 1 pound of aluminum increased by 35%. According to statistics from the American company ALCOA, the aluminum required per 1,000 aluminum cans has been reduced from 25.8 pounds in 1988 to 22.5 pounds in 1998 and 22.3 pounds in 2000. American canning companies have made breakthroughs in sealing machines and other technologies, so the aluminum thickness of American aluminum cans has decreased significantly, from 0.343 mm in 1984 to 0.285 mm in 1992 and 0.259 mm in 1998.

Lightweight progress of aluminum can lids is also evident. The thickness of the aluminum material for can lids decreased from 0.39 mm in the early 1960s to 0.36 mm in the 1970s, from 0.28 mm to 0.30 mm in 1980, and to 0.24 mm in the mid-1980s. The lid diameter has also been reduced. The weight of the lid has continued to decrease. In 1974, the weight of a thousand aluminum cans was 13 pounds, 12 pounds in 1980, 11 pounds in 1984, 10 pounds in 1986, 9 pounds in 1990 and 1992, respectively. 8 pounds, down to 6.6 pounds in 2002. The speed of can-making has been greatly improved, from 650 to 1000 cpm (only per minute) in the 1970s to 1,000 to 1750 cpm in the 1980s and above 2000 cpm.

Many countries, especially developed countries, attach great importance to the recycling and utilization of used metal cans after they have been used, and the recycling rate of metal cans has also increased. For example, the recycling rate of aluminum cans in the United States exceeded 50% as early as the 1980s, 63.6% in 1990, 65.4% in 1994, 66.5% in 1997, and 62.5% in 1999. In 2000 It was 62.1%. The recycling rate of aluminum cans in Japan increased from 43% in 1990 to 58% in 1993, 70% in 1996, 79% in 1999, and 83% in 2001.