Uses for Aluminum Cans
Americans use a huge number of aluminum cans. Luckily, they also recycle a huge number of them. More than 100,000 cans are recycled each minute, according to Earth 911. Recycling and reusing aluminum is common because it is supported by the industry and the government. Aluminum is an incredibly durable metal that does not become degraded during recycling and reuse. Cans can be recycled and reused as new cans, parts of cars or even in your garden.
New Cans
Because aluminum is such a sustainable metal, it saves money and natural resources to recycle cans and turn them into new cans. Drop off your old cans at a recycling center or leave them out for pickup, and they are sent to a used beverage container center for processing. Then they are melted down, along with scrap from old cans, and reformed into new cans. This process uses 95 percent less energy compared to using virgin materials, according to Earth 911; It takes only about two months for the can to be filled and put back on a supermarket shelf after you recycle it.
New Cars
According to the Aluminum Association, after producing new cans, the second most common use of aluminum is making cars. More than six billion pounds of aluminum have been used for automobile manufacturing. The Environmental Protection Agency states that aluminum is valuable for use in cars because it is strong and lightweight, which makes cars more fuel efficient.
Gardens
You may not associate aluminum with gardening, but cans can be helpful for growing plants. Cut cans in half with scissors and flip them over so that the open side faces up. Poke small holes in the bottom of the half that does not have the hole in it. Pack some dirt inside these containers, and use them to sprout your new plants indoors. You can start growing small herbs in these containers or larger plants that you then transplant to a garden outside when they are strong enough to weather the elements.
Once you replant your plants outside, use the aluminum cans for labels. Paper labels that come with plants are usually not as durable as aluminum. The Instructables website describes how to make markers for your garden by cutting the can into squares, carving the name of the plant into the aluminum with a pen, poking a hole in the metal and pushing a piece of wire through the hole and into the ground in your garden.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/150177-uses-for-aluminum-cans/#ixzz1KIkX5PH3
No comments:
Post a Comment