Did You Know?: Aluminium Cans

RECYCLING CANS
Overview
Many of the food and drink products we buy are packaged in cans made from
either aluminium or steel and both of these materials can be recycled after we have
finished with them to make either new cans or other products.
Did you know?
Recycling aluminium uses only around 5% of the energy and emissions needed to
make it from the raw material bauxite. The metal can be recycled time and time
again without loss of properties, so getting the aluminium recycling habit is one of
the best things we can do for the environment.
Steel can also be recycled time and time again without loss of quality; by simply
recycling our steel cans we can conserve non-renewable fossil fuels, reduce the
consumption of energy and the emission of gasses like carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
How is it recycled?
Aluminium cans
 Aluminium cans are shredded, removing any coloured coating.
 They are then melted in a huge furnace.
 The molten metal is poured into ingot casts to set. Each ingot can be made
into around 1.5 million cans.
Aluminium foil is a different alloy and is usually recycled separately with other
aluminium scraps to make cast items such as engine components, where it makes
a big contribution to making vehicles lighter and more energy efficient.
Steel cans
 Steel cans are put into the furnace where molten iron is added.
 Oxygen is then blasted into the furnace which heats up to around 1700°C.
 The liquid metal is poured into a mould to form big slabs which are then
rolled into coils.
 These coils are used to make all sorts of steel products such as bikes, cars,
bridges, paperclips or even new food and drink cans.
Environmental impact
Aluminium
Aluminium is a resource that forms about 8% of the earth's crust. It is mined and
extracted from bauxite, which contains the compound alumina, in an energy-
intensive electrolytic process. Four tonnes of bauxite contains two tonnes of
alumina, which yields one tonne of valuable aluminium. The metal is used in
buildings, transport and other industrial applications, as well as packaging.
Aluminium is the most cost-effective material to recycle, because of the huge

energy savings - up to 95%. In addition, all the scraps left over from the aluminium
production process can be melted down and used again and again. For this
reason, recycling is part of the normal lifecycle for large industrial products -
around 75% of all the aluminium ever made is still in circulation.
Recycling 1kg of aluminium saves up to:
 6kg of bauxite
 4kg of chemical products
 14kWh of electricity.
Steel
Steel is made from one of the earth's most common natural resources, iron ore, as
well as limestone and coal. Mining for these raw materials and the production
process involved in making steel have an environmental impact. Not only does the
process require large amounts of energy but raw materials are wasted when
mining, and the production process also produces waste and emissions.
Steel can be recycled time and time again without loss of quality, so by simply
recycling our steel we can:
 conserve non-renewable fossil fuels
 reduce the consumption of energy
 reduce the amount of raw materials being wasted
 reduce the emission of gasses like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Problems and issues

Both aluminium and steel are easy to recycle and there are huge environmental
benefits for doing this - yet many cans still go to landfill. If we recycle more cans we
can reduce the amount of raw materials needed to produce new products.
Top tips
Remember to recycle drinks cans when away from home - at work, while travelling
or at sports and leisure locations. If you can't find a recycling bin, take it home and
recycle it later.
Rinse out food cans with your leftover washing up water before the residue has
chance to dry out - it will take much less effort!
Check the recycling locator to see what you can recycle in your area.
Made from recycled

Aluminium drinks cans are usually recycled into ingots at a special 'closed-loop'
plant in Warrington. This is the ultimate recycling process for environmental
efficiency and used cans are often recycled, made into new cans, filled and put
back on the shelf in just six weeks.
Foil and other aluminium is generally recycled with other aluminium scraps such as
window frames and road signs, and cast into engine components for vehicles,
which makes them lighter and more fuel efficient.
Recycled steel can be found in incredibly diverse variety of products including:
 bicycle frames
 pipes
 train tracks
 ship hulls
 cars
 bridges
 paperclips
 food and drinks cans.

Steel can be infinitely recycled and because it is such a widely used material, the
ranges of possible uses for it are endless.

Did You Know?: Aluminium Cans

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RECYCLING CANS

Did you know?

 Aluminium cans are shredded, removing any coloured coating.

 They are then melted in a huge furnace.

Aluminium is the most cost-effective material to recycle, because of the huge

Recycling 1kg of aluminium saves up to:

 4kg of chemical products

 conserve non-renewable fossil fuels

 reduce the consumption of energy

 reduce the amount of raw materials being wasted

Problems and issues

Made from recycled

Recycled steel can be found in incredibly diverse variety of products including:

 food and drinks cans.

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