Lesson 4
Fun Facts on Can History

Cans have been around for almost 200 years. The first cans were made of steel and were used in 1810. At that time, they were used to preserve food so that it could be shipped to all parts of the world without spoiling.
The American Gold Rush of 1849 created an urgent need for food in cans because settlers needed food that could be preserved during long voyages to the western part of the United States.
During the Civil War in the United States in the 1860s, metal cans filled with wholesome foods served dependable rations to soldiers on the battlefronts.
Carbonated beverages were put in steel cans in 1953 when technology was advanced enough to prevent fizzy drinks from exploding under pressure, leaking or corroding the metal can.
Aluminum beverage cans were introduced in 1965. Aluminum was considered a better material for cans because it was lighter, used less material and didn't rust. It was also easier to print a label directly on the aluminum can instead of pasting paper labels on them.
In 1970, aluminum can recycling began. Since then, consumers have been turning in cans for cash at recycling centers in record numbers — earning valuable money for a variety of different projects.
Aluminum cans today use even less material than they did in 1972. Back then, manufacturers could only make about 22 cans from one pound of aluminum. Today, they can make about 32 cans per pound of aluminum.

In 1970, Americans celebrated the very first Earth Day. At the same time, a brand new industry was getting its start — the aluminum can recycling industry. Since then, the aluminum beverage can has come to be known as America's most recyclable package. Here's why:

It is estimated that since 1972 some 16 million tons of aluminum have been recycled. These 785.6 billion aluminum cans placed end-to-end could stretch to the moon more than 249 times.
In 1996, the aluminum can set a new record. The package reached a 63.5 percent recycling rate, meaning that 62.8 billion cans were recycled.
In 1972, 53 million pounds of aluminum were recycled. Today, we exceed that amount weekly.
Some 119,482 cans are recycled every minute nationwide.
Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to store shelves as new cans within 60 days.
The weight of aluminum cans recycled in 1996 was equal to the weight of 14 aircraft carriers — 983,709 tons.
Recycling saves 95 percent of the energy required to make aluminum cans from virgin materials. In 1995, aluminum companies saved the equivalent of over 20.6 million barrels of oil — or 12.3 billion kilowatt hours by recycling. This represents enough energy to supply the electrical needs of a city the size of Pittsburgh for about six years.
The aluminum industry operates a coast-to-coast network of 10,000 buy-back locations nationwide and cooperates with more than 8,000 cities and counties with municipal or curbside recycling progress. This infrastructure makes it easy for Americans to redeem their used aluminum beverage cans for cash.
Aluminum cans have tremendous value. In 1996, Americans earned $1.08 billion by recycling aluminum cans, bringing the total amount Americans have earned by recycling cans to more than $8.9 billion.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
The aluminum can industry can make up to 20 times more cans with recycled material using the same amount energy it takes to make cans from virgin materials.