Aluminum is one of the most recyclable materials in use today
In today’s environmentally conscious world, consumers and manufacturers alike are constantly seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Thankfully, aluminium is “infinitely recyclable”, and therefore one of the most recyclable materials on the planet. In fact, nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today. So, what makes aluminium so special when it comes to recyclability? Unlike many other materials, it doesn’t degrade during the recycling process.
The Aluminium Recycling Process
It can be recycled indefinitely without compromising its quality or integrity. This is great news for manufacturers, the environment, and the economy. Especially since aluminium boasts impressive strength-to-weight ratios.
The recycling of aluminium is a closed-loop process that consists of 4 phases as follows:
- Collection – products, ranging from beverage cans to aircraft components, are collected and transported to a recycling facility
- Sorting and Cleaning – collected aluminium is sorted based on alloy and cleaned
- Melting – cleaned aluminium is melted down using only 5% of the energy needed to produce aluminium from bauxite2
- Reforming – molten aluminium is then shaped into ingots or other forms, ready to be used in the production of new products.
"Infinitely Recyclable" Explained
Aluminium, like all metals, is composed of atoms bonded together and formed in a crystal structure. This makes aluminium exceptionally easy to melt and reform into a solid state without changing its fundamental properties. This means that aluminium can be recycled repeatedly, back into use, with no theoretical limitation. In contrast, plastics are a polymer, a synthetic substance composed of very large molecules, which break down when mechanically recycled. Traditional recycling methods will degrade plastics to the point that they are ultimately no longer recyclable back into new plastic.
All materials lose some volume as part of the melting and recycling process, though in the case of metals the material itself is not degraded. In the case of aluminium, a small amount of metal is typically lost through mill operations or oxidation.
Despite this minimal melt loss, the remaining metal is fundamentally unchanged and can be recycled again and again … unlike plastics. A comprehensive industry mass flow analysis shows that nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today. And that metal is recycled over and over again.
Aluminium for circular and sustainable economy
High value and infinitely recyclable aluminium is a material tailor-made for a more circular and sustainable economy.
- Recycling is a critical part of the modern aluminium business. Making recycled aluminium only takes around 5% of the energy needed to make new aluminium — reducing carbon emissions and saving money for businesses and end consumers.
- As a result, nearly 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today, as shown by comprehensive industry data.
- In many industrial markets like automotive and building, recycling rates for aluminium exceed 90%.
