CANS Act of 2026

The Counting Aluminum Net Surplus (CANS) Act of 2026 proposes to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an ongoing study regarding aluminum recycling in the United States. The study would specifically assess the volume of aluminum currently being disposed of in landfills rather than being recycled. It aims to provide policymakers with detailed data on how aluminum scrap moves through both domestic and international markets, including estimates of waste generated by industrial sites and the automotive industry.

If enacted, the bill would require the Department of the Interior, in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency, to submit a report to Congress every three years. These reports would identify the end-use markets for aluminum found in landfills and evaluate the potential for recovering these materials. The goal of the legislation is to provide the transparency needed to improve domestic recycling systems, which supporters suggest could strengthen the U.S. manufacturing supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign raw materials.

For everyday citizens, this bill would not create new mandates or recycling requirements for households. Instead, it focuses on data collection at the federal level to help the government and private industry understand where valuable metal is being lost. By identifying gaps in the recycling process, the bill proposes to lay the groundwork for future policies that could make recycling more efficient and keep more aluminum within the American economy.