Celebrate National Crush a Can Day - Recycling Aluminum

September 27th is National Crush a Can Day! Sometimes also referred to as National Crush Day, this US holiday was created to help build awareness about the benefits of recycling aluminum cans. Our drinking game requires drinking a lot of cans, so we have a vested interest in helping to educate about the importance of recycling what you drink. If you don't already have a separate bin in your house to recycle your cans, today is the day to start this healthy habit that will benefit our future generations!

#CrushACanDay

Aluminum recycling facts:

• About 65% of America's aluminum is recycled, yet America ranks LAST in recycling among countries in the developed world
• Every minute, about 123,000 cans are recycled in the US alone
• In the last 20 years, can manufacturers have been able to reduce the weight of the average can by 40%
• Throwing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as throwing out half a can of gasoline
• Recycling one can is the equivalent of running a 100-watt lightbulb for 4 hours or running a television for 3 hours
• Making beer cans out of recycled aluminum reduces 95% of air pollution vs. new aluminum

Bottle bills have changed our recycling behavior

Bottle bills are a common practice for states to incentivize recycling programs. They are sometimes referred to as container deposit return laws because as you purchase a beverage you are charged an initial deposit to encourage a refund when you recycle the container. You only get paid back when you bring the empty can or bottle to a retailer or redemption center for recycling. Think of it as buying the beverage and paying a deposit to borrow the packaging until it is returned.

There are currently 10 states and the Guam territory with bottle bills in effect in America and these laws have been shown to have positive results. Even if people choose not to return their own cans and bottles, other people have been known to pick up trash from roadways and trash cans to make money on the refund.

Let's spend some time thinking about how we can individually help recycling efforts and educate our country about the importance of recycling. This holiday is the perfect time to start a new habit and remind others to join in to save the planet one can at a time!