Japan Aluminium Can Recycle Rate Exceeds 90% for 2 Years

Japanese beverage aluminium can recycling rate exceeded 90% for 2 fiscal years in a row, announced by Japan Aluminum Can Recycling Association on Thursday. The rate was 90.9% in fiscal 2006 ended March 2007, which hit the secondly highest and downed by 0.8 percentage points from fiscal 2005. The rate represented year-to-year decrease for the first time since fiscal 2003.Japanese beverage aluminium can consumption was 298,641 tonnes or 18.36 billion cans, while the recycling volume was 271,387 tonnes or 16.65 billion cans in fiscal 2006. Both decreased from a year ago.The association supposed the recycling rate downed in fiscal 2006 when domestic dealers temporarily retained aluminium can scrap at their sites and Japanese aluminium can scrap export increased. On the other hand, the rate maintained above 90% when aluminium can scrap collection volume increased among citizens thanks to higher recycling awareness and higher aluminium price, the association indicated. Additionally aluminium can scrap demand was active for automotive castings and steel making additives.Closed recycling rate, called can-to-can recycling rate, which upped by 4.8 percentage points to 62.1% in fiscal 2006 from fiscal 2005 and represented year-to-year increase for the first time in 4 years.