Novelis Recycles More Than 35 Billion Aluminum Cans in 2005

Novelis Inc. recycled nearly a million metric tons of post-consumer and post- industrial aluminum scrap in 2005, including more than 35 billion used beverage cans -- enough to circle the earth more than 100 times if laid end to end.

Novelis is the world's largest aluminum can recycler and the regional leader in North America, South America and Europe. Proprietary de-coating technology makes the Novelis can recycling process highly efficient, contributing to enhanced productivity, efficiency and environmental responsibility.

"Recycled aluminum is an important source of raw material for Novelis," said Martha Brooks, chief operating officer. "Approximately 30 percent of our metal input comes from recycling. Optimizing the use of recycled metal gives us added agility and flexibility in meeting customer demands. It supports our in-house production of sheet ingot, supplementing our purchases of primary metal. The closed loop recycling of beverage cans -- from store shelf to consumer to store shelf -- has been a tremendous success for our industry."

"Recycling also provides a means to address our environmental sustainability goals," Brooks added. "Aluminum produced from scrap metal requires 95 percent less energy than is needed to produce primary aluminum -- which means that up to 95 percent of related greenhouse gas emissions are avoided."