Brazil, new world record: the country recycles almost 100% of its aluminium

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In 2014 the South American country recovered 98.4% of the cans produced, while Europe recycles no more than 70%.

Brazil achieved an aluminium recycling rate of 98.4%, establishing a new world record. The data was provided by the Brazilian Aluminium Association and the Brazilian Association for Recyclable Cans. This achievement should not come as a surprise: Brazil has been the world leader for can recycling since 2001.

Brazil recycled a total amount of 280,500 tons of aluminium drink cans in 2014 alone, when the total production of cans amounts to 294.000 tons: a 12.5% increase compared to 2013. According to the sector associations, the collection of aluminium generated almost 200 million euro of revenues and allowed to save 4,250 gigawatt/h of energy, an amount equivalent to the annual consumption of 6.6 million people in 2 million households.

“For over ten years we have been the country with the highest rate of aluminium cans recycling worldwide, sustaining a performance of over 90% – explains Mario Fernandez, the coordinator of the Recycling Market Committee of the Brazilian Aluminium Association – This demonstrates both the maturity level and the structure for the Brazilian recycling market.”
As a comparison, aluminium can recycling rates in 2014 amounted to 87.4% in Japan, 70% in Europe and 66.5% in the Emirates.