That would put them up with the current leader, Japan, which recycled 79 percent of its cans in 1999. Some small European countries recycle almost 90 percent of their cans, but the association says Japan and Brazil are far ahead of other populous countries. For instance, the United States recycled 63 percent of its cans in 1999, and Europe as a whole recycled 41 percent. South America's second-largest economy after Brazil. There's more than altruism involved.
Recycling can be good business.
To produce a ton of aluminum from scratch requires 5 tons of bauxite and 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. With recycling, you need a ton of old cans and just 750 kilowatt-hours of electricity, a boon for a country straining to meet electricity demand. Aluminum cans are relatively new to Brazil. They were introduced only in 1990, when the Skol brewery began using them to provide a smaller, more convenient alternative to the traditional 22-ounce glass bottles. It's starting to penetrate the middle class.