The Environmental Impacts of Aluminum Production:

The beverage and aluminum industries tout the can as the most recyclable package in America, But recyclable doesn't necessarily mean recycled. More than half of the 100 billion cans sold in the U.S.in 2005 were landfilled or incinerated. A similar amount wasn't recycled in other countries, for a global total of about 1.5 million tons of wasted cans. These trashed cans must be replaced with new cans made entirely from virgin materials, and that is where the environmental damage occurs.

Pollution: 1 ton of cans produces 5 tons of caustic waste

Each ton of aluminum cans requires 5 tons of bauxite ore to be strip-mined, crushed, washed, and refined into alumina before it is smelted, creating about 5 tons of caustic red mud residue which can seep into surface and groundwater.

Energy consumption: 3% of the world's electricity goes into making aluminum cans.

While aluminum companies often cite tremendous savings from recycling aluminum, they fail to mention that at current wasting levels, about 23 billion kilowatt-hours are squandered globally each year through replacement production. About 7 kWh are saved per pound (33 cans) recycled. Had the 50 billion trashed cans been recycled, the electricity saved could power 1.3 million American homes.  In total, the industry's annual electricity consumption is almost 300 billion kilowatt-hours, or about 3% of the world's total electricity consumption.

Climate Change: Aluminum smelters release greenhouse gases and toxic emissions

About 95 million tons of greenhouse gases were produced by the global aluminum industry in 2005. Primary aluminum smelting also generates sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, which are contributors to smog and acid rain. In 2005, 50.7 billion U.S. cans were wasted, resulting in the emission of 75,000 tons of SOx and NOx.