Recycling Aluminum - By: Harry Browar, Posted on: 2006-12-03

Aluminum is one of the major types of products recycled in North America each year. Aluminum is used to make cans, foil, and other items such as trays. Americans recycle approximately 65-70% of the aluminum used in household products each year. However, hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum products are being thrown away each year.

When thinking of recycling aluminium, the image that comes to mind is of cans. But the fact is that any household item made of aluminium, like lawn furniture can be recycled. The local recycling depot can clarify any doubt whether an aluminium item is recyclable or not.

It is interesting to know the process that the aluminium has to go through before it can be reused. There is a large processing plant that deals with scrap. The various recycling plant send their collection to this plant.

When the aluminum gets there it is sorted and then crushed into slabs. Any labels or coating on the cans or other pieces will be taken care of at their next stop, the aluminum company.

The aluminium product that we have has approximately 50% of recycled products. At the aluminium company these blocks are cut into shreds and thereafter crushed. It is here that the labels and coatings etc are removed. The crushed shreds are now melted with new aluminium.

Once it has been melted the aluminum can be made into any shape necessary. Of course, the process will differ slightly depending on the type of product that is being being made. Aluminum recycling sounds easy doesn't it?

Aluminum is actually the most common metal on earth. So why is it so important to recycle it then? While we are at no risk of running out of aluminum any time soon, using new aluminum requires much more energy than using recycled aluminum. Waste is also a key issue.

People living in North America waste a huge number of products every year. All this waste ends up in landfills and we are running out of room to establish more of them. Not only that, but waste harms all animal and plant life living in the landfill sites.

To get more people to recycle aluminum, companies might consider deposits. When we buy a can, we usually are paying a deposit built into its price. If we want that deposit back, we must return the can. It then enters the cycle of going to a recycling center and then on to be processed.

Recycling benefits everyone. It not only cuts down on our waste and saves energy, but it also creates jobs and is good for communities. While most people do their part to recycle and help the environment, many don't, and are still throwing away their aluminum cans and other recyclable products.

In case there is no recycling program in your locality then it is a good idea to start an environmental group and take up aluminium recycling as a start up scheme. Once you do that you will notice that many people and local businesses are interested in the project.

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Harry Browar is the owner and operator of First Alluminum, a fantastic resource for information about alluminum, For more articles on alluminum why not visit: www.firstaluminum.com/articles
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