Business View - August 2015 73
the next five to ten years. And that’s largely driven by this automotive
expansion that we’re seeing.”
Meenan elaborates on the Association’s near-term goals and objec-
tives: “We’re bullish and very enthusiastic about where things are
heading.” There have been “pivotal moments” in the industry’s past,
he explains. In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, there was a strong move into
the construction and aerospace market; in the 70s and 80s, it was
the aluminum can; and “now, today, you’ve got this automotive op-
portunity.”
The Association is also heavily committed to its “sustainability work.”
Meenan adds that a continuing priority for the Association is a “big
push to get good, credible information on how we’re doing in terms
of our environmental performance.”
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable - nearly 75 percent of the alumi-
num ever made is still in use today. Aluminum cans, for example, are
made with an average of 70 percent recycled content, which far ex-
ceeds competitive types of packaging. And according to the Associa-
tion’s website: “Producing recycled, or secondary, aluminum saves
more than 90 percent of the energy and produces just eight percent
of the greenhouse gases associated with making new, or primary,
aluminum.” The Association’s Sustainability Initiative, launched in
April 2008, promotes increased recycling, energy-efficient product
applications, and increased operating efficiency.
In terms of advocacy, the Aluminum Association actively engages
with federal lawmakers and regulators, educating them and urging
them to pursue policies that will allow the industry to grow. In 2013,
the United States Congress created the Congressional Aluminum
Caucus – a bipartisan group of members committed to elevating
awareness of the U.S. aluminum industry and every aspect of the
metal’s production and use. The industry’s top issues include: alu-
minum recycling, beverage can management, climate change and
energy.
As the aluminum industry continues to supply the world with the
“miracle metal,” the work of the Aluminum Association will likewise
continue to promote its interests and agenda for the benefit of us all.
MANUFACTURING
