What Happens to Recycled Aluminum?
Overview
Aluminum is the most valuable of all recyclable materials, according to The Aluminum Association, with a value four times greater than other recycled consumer materials. Most recycled aluminum goes into the production of new beverage containers, but that demand is decreasing due to the increased use of plastic containers. However, recycled aluminum is becoming more popular in the automotive industry because it is lightweight, strong and durable.
Considerations
In 2008, the United States manufactured almost 2 million tons of aluminum in the form of containers and packaging, according the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and approximately 1.4 million tons of aluminum went into the production of durable and nondurable goods, such as automobile parts and appliances. In the same year, Americans contributed 3.4 million tons of aluminum to the municipal solid waste system.
Features
Used beverage containers, such as beer cans and soft drink cans, make up the bulk of recycled aluminum. The Can Manufacturers Institute reports that in 2005, 51.4 billion aluminum cans were recycled--the energy equivalent of conserving over 15 million barrels of oil. Recycling just 40 aluminum cans is equivalent to conserving the energy of 1 gallon of gasoline.
The Process
The primary use of most recycled aluminum is to make more aluminum cans. When aluminum is recycled, manufacturers melt it down, reshape it and make it into new cans and other products. The process begins when consumers deposit used aluminum products at the curbside or at designated drop-off centers. Haulers collect the aluminum waste and deliver it to a material recovery facility, where workers separate other beverage and food containers from aluminum cans, which contain the highest quality of scrap aluminum.
The facility then bales the aluminum cans and sells them to can sheet manufacturers or brokers, who hire toll processors to refine the aluminum, melt it and shape it into ingots, or blocks. Finally, the can sheet manufacturers melt the ingots into can sheet, make it into cans and produce lids separately. The manufacturers then sell the cans back to beverage producers.
Other Uses of Recycled Aluminum
The second largest market for recycled aluminum is the automotive industry, which uses it to produce die-casts. The EPA predicts an increase in recycled aluminum usage by the automotive industry in the future, as the demand for lightweight, fuel-efficient cars increases. Other uses of recycled aluminum include building and construction materials, machinery and equipment, and consumer durables.
Significance
Aluminum comes from bauxite, an ore that is extracted from the earth. This means that aluminum does not break down or decompose, which makes aluminum recycling a critical issue. If an aluminum can is not recycled, it will still be an aluminum can hundreds of years from now. However, when you recycle an aluminum can, it can appear as a new aluminum can in as little as 60 days, reports the Aluminum Association.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/160836-what-happens-to-recycled-aluminum/#ixzz1KIp4RDOZ
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