Aluminium is fully recyclable and does not lose any of its properties or quality during the process. Recycling aluminum also consumes just 5% of the energy used to produce new aluminum and produces just 5% of the greenhouse gases. Because of these factors, nearly 75% of all aluminum produced has been recycled and is still in use today.
Aluminium recycling is the method of reusing scrap aluminum in goods after it has been manufactured. The procedure entails simply re-melting the metal, which is much less costly and energy intensive than producing fresh Aluminum from Bauxite Ore.
An aluminum can can go from end use to a brand new can rolling off the conveyor at an aluminum can recycling center in as few as 60-90 days. This is an extremely impressive turnaround process, and is just one of the reasons why aluminum recycling is such an essential practice.
While it is expensive and energy-intensive to extract and refine virgin aluminum from mined bauxite ore, recycling scrap aluminum requires just five percent of the energy needed to produce virgin aluminum, resulting in a 95 percent energy saving to use recycled aluminum over virgin material; a rarity in the world of recycling.
Before widespread commercial aluminum recycling, aluminum used to be one of the most expensive metals on the planet; more so than gold.
The Aluminium recycling process involves:
- Shredding the metal
- De-coating the metal
- Melting the metal
- Casting the metal into ingots
- Rolling the metal into sheet
- The metal sheets can then be used to manufacture a wide variety of packaging and objects.
One of the steadier commodities in the recycling stream, aluminum’s relative light weight and almost endless potential to be recycled has meant that while plastics remain the container of choice for many drink manufacturers, moves to place more and more beverages, including water, in aluminum cans are currently taking place.
Here at Alico Waste Experts our company mission is to end waste, in all of its forms. The future of aluminum recycling will be shaped by companies, cities, and individual residents who are willing to work to bring forward a true circular economy.
At AWE we are experts at providing recycling solutions for businesses. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in learning more about AWE’s sustainability offerings, please reach out to us at query@alicowasteexperts.com