TRENTON, NJ – Recycling is a huge part of what makes New Jersey what we are. In fact, New Jersey is in the top 10 states in America when it comes to our recycling output with a 46% recycling rate.
What does that have to do with crushing a can today? Well, today is National Crush a Can Day and while we’re doing a great job, have a cold one (or a few) and crush those cans.
Ok, so let’s clarify one thing. Technically, in New Jersey, they don’t really want you to crush cans before recycling/ According to the NJDEP, crushed and flattened aluminum cans are more difficult to sort at recycling processing facilities as they tend to bypass sorting systems and contaminate other recyclable material streams.
Consumers are asked not to crush and flatten their aluminum cans before putting them in their recycling containers.
The annual observance of National Crush a Can Day on September 27 seeks to educate the public on the crucial role aluminum recycling plays in sustainability. The event, marked by hashtag #CrushACanDay, calls for reducing waste through recycling aluminum cans, a material that can be endlessly recycled.
Aluminum is the second most recycled material in the United States, trailing only behind steel. One of its key advantages is its ability to be recycled without loss of quality, using 95% less energy compared to producing a new can. Despite this efficiency, over 1 million tons of aluminum are still discarded annually.
The rate of aluminum recycling in the U.S. is approximately 65%. On a daily basis, 105,800 aluminum cans are recycled every minute across the country. These efforts save a significant amount of energy; the energy conserved from recycling just one can could power a television for three hours.
Financially, the industry has shown its commitment to recycling, paying out more than $1 billion each year for recycled cans. As of 2019, the value of an individual aluminum can was estimated at 1.7 cents.