We see aluminum cans by the thousands. We may come to think that with so many aluminum cans around, why bother recycling? But it is this abundance that is a prime reason TO recycle. We may ask, “Is it worth the bother?” It is if you have any concern for your surroundings.
Recycling aluminum is so easy that the time needed for an empty beverage can to be recycled, refilled and be back on the store shelf is as little as 60 days!
Because aluminum does not degrade or burn off during recycling, aluminum is infinitely recyclable. Recycling aluminum saves 90-95 percent of the energy needed to make aluminum from bauxite ore. Aluminum smelting also produces sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, two toxic gases that are key elements in smog and acid rain.
It doesn’t matter if you’re making aluminum cans, roof gutters or cookware, it is simply much more energy-efficient to recycle existing aluminum to create the aluminum needed for new products than it is to make aluminum from virgin natural resources.
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