Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Replacing Beverage Containers Wasted in 2005e
| Container Type | Greenhouse Gases Per Ton Wasted (MTCE) (a) | Containers Wasted, 2005 (b) | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Due to "Replacement Production" | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units (billion) | Tons (million) | (million MTCE) | # cars with equivalent annual emissions (million) (c) | ||
| Aluminum cans | 4.09 | 55.0 | 0.8 | 3.3 | 2.6 |
| #1 PET plastic bottles | 0.42 | 43.6 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| #2 HDPE plastic bottles | 0.38 | 6.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Glass bottles | 0.08 | 28.8 | 6.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Total | n/a | 134.1 | 9.6 | 4.7 | 3.7 |
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(a) Metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) per ton of "replacement" containers; ie., the difference in GHG emissions between making 1 ton of containers from 100% virgin materials vs. 100% recycled materials. Source for per ton emissions data: Derived from Exhibit 4.4, “Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases: A Life Cycle Assessment of Emissions and Sinks, 2nd edition." EPA530-R-02-006, May 2002. (b) Aluminum can data based on data from the Aluminum Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce; plastic and glass data is estimated using data from prior years from the Glass Packaging Institute, the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste, the American Plastics Council, and the National Association of PET Container Resources. (c) Average American car emits 1.3 MTCE/year. Derived from "Prioritizing your climate waste activities." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. October 2005. <www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/ reduce/wstewise/pubs/cliwaste.pdf> Accessed 2-6-05. © Container Recycling Institute, 2006 |
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Energy Impacts of Replacing Beverage Containers Wasted in 2005 (estimated)
| Container Type | Energy Per Ton Wasted (MBtu) (a) | Containers Wasted, 2005 (b) | Energy Wasted Due to "Replacement Production" (c) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units (billion) | Tons (million) | Barrels of Crude Oil Equivalent (million) | Households' Total Annual Energy Needs Met (million) | ||
| Aluminum cans | 206.9 | 55.0 | 0.8 | 29.0 | 1.5 |
| #1 PET plastic bottles | 53.4 | 43.6 | 1.5 | 14.3 | 0.3 |
| #2 HDPE plastic bottles | 51.4 | 6.8 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 0.1 |
| Glass bottles | 2.7 | 28.8 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 0.1 |
| Total | n/a | 134.1 | 9.6 | 50.2 | 2.0 |
|
(a) Million British Thermal Units (MBtu) per ton of "replacement" containers; ie., the difference in energy required to make 1 ton of containers from 100% virgin materials vs. 100% recycled materials. Source for per ton energy requirements: "Waste Management and Energy Savings: Benefits by the Numbers." Choate, Ferland et. al., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC, October 2005. (b) Aluminum can data based on data from the Aluminum Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce; plastic and glass data is estimated using data from prior years from the Glass Packaging Institute, the U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste, the American Plastics Council, and the National Association of PET Container Resources. (c) Factors used: 5.78 MBtu/barrel crude oil; Avg. annual residential energy use: 94.6 Mbtu/household. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, “A Look at Residential Energy Consumption in 2001.” www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/consumption. © Container Recycling Institute, 2006 |
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Beverage containers wasted, by material: 1986 and 2006
In 1986, 648,315 tons of aluminum cans were wasted (not recycled), but in 2006 815,352 tons were wasted.
In 1986, 276,711 tons of steel cans were wasted, but only 1,687 tons were wasted in 2006.
285,188 tons of PET bottles were wasted in 1986, while 2,076,000 tons were wasted in 2006.
In 1986, 58,884 tons of HDPE bottles were wasted, and in 2006, 148,283 tons were wasted.
Aluminum, plastic, and glass recycling rates
Aluminum cans are the most-recycled major container type in the United States, with a 45% U.S. recycling rate. This rate is down nine percentage points from the 54.5% aluminum can recycling rate in 2000, and it is down twenty percentage points from the peak of 65% in 1992.
PET plastic bottles had a 23.5% recycling rate in 2006, compared to 24.8% in 2000. This rate is down from a peak of 37.3% in 1995.
Glass was recycled at an average rate of 27.8% in 2006.
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