Aluminium

Many of the things around us are made from metals such as Aluminium. Metals are all extracted from the earths crust. This means that once they are taken out they cannot be put in again, so they must be recycled to get the most out of them. Recycling aluminium takes only 5% of the energy it uses to make it in the first place.

Did you know that over 50% of the aluminium cans in the world are recycled for use in other products?

Each UK household uses over 200 aluminium drink cans every year. These can all be recycled repeatedly, very easily; you may even use the same aluminium more than once in the same year!

How can you tell if it is aluminium? That’s easy! Hold a magnet to the can, and if it doesn’t stick it is aluminium.

• Here’s how to recycle an aluminium can
• Give the inside of the can a quick rinse with water
• Put the can into the green recycling box for collection. If there is not one, then put it into a carrier bag with the other aluminium cans, ready to be taken to the recycling centre. Supermarkets often have them in the car park.
• Simple now that’s your part over? Aluminium cans here. Here is what happens to the cans now:
• They are transported to a factory where the recycling process will start.
• The metal is then shredded into tiny pieces and blasted with air to remove all the paint and decoration.
• The aluminium is then melted in a furnace at 750°C Now that’s hot!
• The molten metal is then poured into moulds to make separate pieces, which are then rolled out and made into cans again.
• Did you know that each sheet makes up to 1.5 million cans? That’s a lot of fizzy drinks! Cans go through this process again and again, constantly reusing the materials. Now that is energy efficient!