The Sloan Industry Center for a Sustainable Aluminum Industry
Fayette Country Aluminum Recycling Laboratory Study

Background: In the fall of 2004, the Sloan Foundation awarded a prestigious Sloan Industry Center Grant to The University of Kentucky- Gatton School of Business and Economics, the Aluminum Industry, Secat, Inc. and The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development. The Center for a Sustainable Aluminum Industry (CSAI) was created, with one of its primary objectives to acquire a deeper understanding of the factors affecting recycling rates of aluminum products and suggestions for programs to increase recycling rates.

Working with the local Lexington Government Recycling Center, Secat initiated a study of the current recycling operations, showing that Aluminum provided 15 times more revenue per pound than any other material. Interest in the study from Mayor Teresa Isaacs resulted in a plan to make the Lexington Municipal Recycling Facility the first recycling lab in the country.

In order to measure the true Lexington aluminum recycling rate, CSAI has contacted local recyclers as well as the beverage industry which supplies most of the new aluminum cans that are the target of the study, in order to collect data which will support this effort. In addition, a Waste Composition study will be underwritten by the Lexington government, to assess where aluminum cans are being lost to landfills.

To keep all interested parties up to date on this project, we have developed a newsletter which will be sent routinely as significant progress is made.

	August 24, 2005- Proclamation Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaacs, University of Kentucky President Dr. Lee Todd, and Fayette Country School Superintendent Stu Silberman issue a proclamation in support of Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community. The Sloan Recycling project - and the economic development impact - is key component of President Todd's remarks.
	August 9, 2005- Presentataion: Economic Value of Aluminum Recycling At the August 9th meeting of the Governor's Office for Local Development, Dr. Das focused on the significant impact that aluminum recycling can have on the U.S. economy. A 1% change in the aluminum recycling rate has an estimated economic impact of $12 Million; and trashed cans contribute $600 Million to the nation's trade deficit.
	July 21, 2005- Meeting with Pepsi Cola Plant Manager in Lexington Michael MacDonald, Plant Manager at the Lexington Pepsi-Cola facility hosts Dr. Das and Ms. Grulke for a plant tour and discussion of the Recycling Study.
	July 19, 2005- Presentation to Lexington Mayor, University of Kentucky President & Lexington School Superintendent Dr. Das joined with Ben Crutcher (University of Kentucky) and Carol Hanley (University of Kentucky - Bluegrass Partnership for a Sustainable Community) to introduce Mayor Teresa Isaacs, President Lee Todd and Superintendent Stu Silberman to the collaboration within the community to develop sustainable practices, including the Sloan project to study Aluminum Recycling.
	July 19, 2005- Meeting with Anne McBrayer, Kentucky Eagle Beer Anne McBrayer, President of Kentucky Eagle Beer, the local distributor for Anheuser-Busch products, visited Secat for an overview of the planned recycling study. She gave her full support to the project and offered to provide the aluminum sales information needed for the analysis.
	July 11, 2005- Meeting with Clark Distributing Co. Jim Musgove, Branch Manager for Clark Distributing which distributes Miller, Coors, Pabst, and other brands of beers in the Lexington area, met with Dr. Das and Ms. Grulke as an introduction to the intent and scope of the Sloan Aluminum Recycling Study.
	June 30, 2005- Anheuser-Busch Corporate Recycling Visit Upon hearing about the Sloan Aluminum Recycling Project, Paula Crews, Director of Marketing and Tim McAllister, Business Development Analyst for the Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation (ABRC), visited at Secat for a day long information exchange about the recycling programs at ABRC and the Sloan Aluminum Recycling Project. ABRC pledged their support to the Sloan project.
	May 4 , 2005- Mayor Teresa Isaacs visit Mayor Teresa Isaacs met with Dr. Subodh Das, Executive Director of CSAI, to be introduced to the project and also shown the study results from the Municipal Recycling Center. Upon seeing the opportunity to both increase recycling while increasing revenue for the Recycling Center, Mayor Isaacs gave her full support to the project and requested that Jay Whitehead, Public Works Commissioner, be involved as the project develops.
	May, 2005- Detailed analysis of the Lexington Municipal Urban Recycling Facility (MRF) A detailed baseline analysis of the Lexington/Fayette County MRF operation was done by a University of Kentucky Materials Science student. The recycling operation was flow-charted, following all streams of recyclable materials, and nine months of real volume and revenue data were collect. The study showed that Aluminum, although it was only 1.5% of the MRF recycling volume, produced 14.2% of the MRF revenue.
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