United States – Alcoa and its charitable branch, the Alcoa Foundation, is to invest a sum of US$ 2 million in the new US Action to Accelerate Recycling (AAR) initiative to improve the domestic recycling rate. If landfill diversion targets are achieved, this would result in the avoidance of 850 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the world-leading aluminium producer.
The project is designed to create incentives to recycle as well as increase awareness of the overall recycling industry, the company adds. It notes that the financial injection is aimed at establishing a more solid infrastructure relating to the recovery of aluminium, plastics, glass and paper. It is hoped the support from Alcoa alone will help engage millions of Americans, thus increasing the country’s current recycling rate by 10%.
Dubbing the decision to back AAR as a ‘call for action’ for companies, Alcoa’s Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld says: ‘Together with our industry partners, we set and can achieve an ambitious, yet achievable, 75% aluminium can recycling rate by 2015 in the US.’
The multi-media campaign is set to spread the recycling message to 200 million people. As part of the initiative, Ohio State University, the University of Tennessee, Purdue University and Clemson University will encourage fans to recycle in car parks during the American football season.
AAR was set up this February as a joint effort involving upwards of 80 US businesses, industry associations and environmental groups. Its ultimate goal is to boost the nation’s recycling rate by 20 percentage points within three years.
For more information, visit: www.alcoa.com
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