CARI – Canada’s Recycling Association

One of the elements we always try to include on our web site and in our advertising is the symbol of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries or CARI. We have been a member of this organization for many years and always do our best to support their mandate and various initiatives.

CARI’s Roots

Movie stars like Rita Hayworth doing their bit for the WW II recycling drive.

In 1941 the Canadian government called for a coordinated approach from industry to provide high quality scrap metal to support the war effort. Understandably metals were extremely scarce at this time. In fact, the United States Mint actually stopped making copper pennies altogether in 1943.

All across North America, posters, bumper stickers and advertisements were rife with slogans like “Salvage for Victory”, “Bomb ‘Em With Junk”, “Make Sure They’re Sunk…Bring In Your Junk.” and “Get In The Scrap.”

Against this background, the Canadian Secondary Materials Association was established  to provide oversight for the collection and processing of scrap material. In 1973 it was renamed the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries with a mandate to promote the optimal net economic and social impact from commercial recycling activities.

CARI Today

Today, CARI represents over 260 companies in the recycling sector. It is active nationally and internationally, working with governments on policies and specifications affecting the recycling industry, informing the public about metal recycling, and fostering co-operation among its member firms to identify and work to solve common problems.

A key player in the consultative process at all levels of the recycling chain, CARI has helped to draft new rules in relation to natural resources, international trade, transportation, environmental issues, defense and industry standards. Recently it has been increasingly engaged in extended producer responsibilities and the problem of metal theft.

Recycling is a win-win situation for Canadian business, the environment and the consumer. CARI is working hard to promote this reality on behalf of its members. It has taken the industry to an organized, professional and accessible level on par with other industries and well down the road from its humble beginnings.

The Canadian Association of Recycling Industries is located in Ajax, Ontario and can be reached through their website at www.cari-acir.org.

Metal Tips And Tricks. Aluminum Vs Stainless Steel

We are often asked by our customers for a rough-and-ready way to tell the difference between aluminum and stainless steel. Of the more common grades, neither are ferro-magnetic. Stainless is heavier but the finishes available nowadays can make them difficult to separate.

One way to do this is by Spark Testing – always wear safety glasses when doing this. Using a Dremel or other standard grinding tool, simply touch the grinder to the metal. Different metals and alloys impart characteristic sparks and there have actually been a whole series of guidelines established for use in the metal industry.

Aluminum will not spark when touched with an appropriate grinder. Stainless, on the other hand, will spark, and in fact, will spark differently depending on the grade.