Aluminium Recycling Process

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.

Aluminum recycling is actually an interesting process. First the items are collected from the different recycling centers and transported to a scrap metal plant.

There is a requirement to sort out this aluminium stuff. Once sorted out they are compressed in to blocks. From here these blocks are sent to various aluminium companies. The existing labels and coatings are taken care of in the aluminium company.

The aluminum company shreds and crushes the slabs. All the labels and coatings are removed at this point. New aluminum is added to the recycled, and they are melted together. Most aluminum that we buy contains about 50% recycled product.

The molten aluminium can now be converted to any shape as required. At time the process differs a little depending on the desired end product. You will agree that aluminium recycling is not very difficult.

As aluminum is the most common metal on the planet, why do we bother recycling it? We aren't going to run out of it for eons, but using new product is actually more energy consuming. Another issue is the waste factor.

North Americans produce an enormous amount of waste each year. And where does it all go? Landfills are filling up and we are running out of places to put our waste. Not only that, but waste is very harmful to indigenous flora and fauna that live in the areas that we have decided to use for our landfills.

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.

If there is no recycling program in your area why not get an environmental group started and make that your first project? You will probably find that many people want to get involved, including local area businesses.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

Harry Browar is the webmaster for First Alluminum, a fantastic resource for information about alluminum. For more articles on alluminum why not visit: www.firstaluminum.com/articles
Don't reprint this article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.