In the 19th century, aluminium was worth more than gold and silver due to the difficulty attributed to its extraction from bauxite
60 days
Aluminium cans can be recycled and reused within 60 days
60 years ago, aluminium beverage cans weighed more than 80 g. Today, a 330 ml can weighs approximately 13 g
Aluminium does not occur in its metallic form on earth. It is made from bauxite ore using electrolysis
80-200 years
Aluminium cans take 80-200 years to decompose
3 hours
By recycling one aluminium can, enough energy is saved to power a TV for 3 hours
90-95%
Recycling aluminium saves 90-95% of the energy needed to make aluminium from bauxite ore
Steel and Aluminium Recycling Process
Steel and aluminium cans are collected and transported to the recycling facility
The recycling facility separates the steel cans from the aluminium cans using a magnet. Steel cans are magnetic and aluminium cans are not
The steel and aluminium cans are compacted separately using a bailing press
Steel and aluminium blocks are broken down to allow for processing
Steel and aluminium fragments are loaded into a heater and heated to produce molten metal
Purification of the metals occurs to remove any impurities
Molten steel is poured into moulds and molten aluminium is rolled into flat sheets. Both are then left to cool and solidify
Final products are transported to factories where new aluminium and steel products are manufactured