3 surprising facts about…

Every 3 seconds a baby is born. In that time, 140 cans are made.

… Aluminum. On my flight back to Boston I asked for water and the flight attendant crisply opened a can and poured it into my travel mug. I flinched. I knew where that can was going–in the garbage. But then I caught myself; this was a Southwest flight and they are notorious for recycling. I felt slightly better. I’d forgotten the virtues of aluminum but here are just a few reminders about why it beats plastic and why using less still reigns supreme:

• Aluminum can be recycled forever with no loss of quality.
• If we recycled all of our aluminum cans for one year, we could save enough energy to light Washington, D.C. for 3.7 years.
• Every 3 seconds a baby is born in the U.S. In that time, 140 aluminum cans are made.

Statistics taken from:

Can Manufacturers Institute. (2011). “Recycling Facts.” Environmental Issues. http://www.cancentral.com/funFacts.cfm

American Beverage Association. (2011). Recycling. http://www.ameribev.org/minisites/recycling/