Aluminum can is one of the common and economically valuable recycling items in municipal waste streams. In this study, the reduction rate of the greenhouse gas emission and energy savings were estimated when aluminum cans are recycled by using material flow analysis, US EPA WARM method, and EU Prognos method. Based on the results, approximately 16,630 ton of aluminum in 2010 was recovered as ingot, while 10,873 ton of aluminum can to can recycling occurred in the same year. The reduction rate of aluminum recycling was estimated to be 240,986 tCO2eq/yr by US EPA WARM method, while about 305,283 tCO2eq/yr was found by the recycling using EU Prognos method. The difference resulted partly from the different system boundary and the loss rate during aluminum recycling process. The results of the energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction rate would be valuable for waste management policy makers to estimate the potential reduction rate of greenhouse gas by aluminum can recycling and accelerate recycling infrastructure of waste streams. This study also implies that the applications and results of both methods to estimate greenhouse gas reduction rates by aluminum can recycling should be carefully reviewed and acknowledged before the use of the method due to the different assumptions and results that are anticipated.

The purpose of this study is to identify the materials flow of aluminum cans from its production, manufacturing, distribution, consumption to its discarding, while finding problems in the materials flow diagram in carrying out recycling, and to present improvement measures for relevant systems and policies. Through various statistics, it was found that the actual amount of aluminum ingots distributed in Korea is 1,808,597 tons. From this 381,802 tons of aluminum plates were used for domestic uses, 75,070 tons were used to produce cans, and it was found that 50,073 tons of can products were produced and distributed in Korea. The 50,073 tons of wastes for separate collection was 96% and recycling was 76% for a total of 38,297 tons for recycling. Upon examining the recycling path, it was found that can-to-can was 35% equivalent to 13,403 tons, while 14,100 tons were melted for alloys and 10,794 tons were used as deoxidizing agents for blast furnaces. According to such studies, a materials flow diagram was drafted and the problems in recycling for each stage were reviewed. In result, plans to improve packaging materials and structures in the production stage, plans to restrict inclusion of foreign particles in the discard and selection stage, plans to provide different support in funding and granting quality ratings in the sorting and compression stages, and plans to apply as recycling designated business systems for high-value recycling in the resourcing stage were proposed.