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Aluminum is one of the major types of products recycled in North America each year. Aluminum is used to make cans, foil, and other items such as trays. Americans recycle approximately 65-70% of the aluminum used in household products each year. However, hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum products are being thrown away each year. When most people think about recycling aluminum, they think of pop cans. But you can actually recycle other products such as lawn furniture and anything else made from aluminum. If you have an item that you would like to recycle, but are unsure if it is recyclable, contact your local recycling depot. The process which aluminum products must go through before they can be used in new products is an interesting one. Aluminum products are collected from various recycling depots and taken to a processing plant that deals with scrap. When the aluminum gets there it is sorted and then crushed into slabs. Any labels or coating on the cans or other pieces will be taken care of at their next stop, the aluminum company. Once at the aluminum company the slabs are shredded and crushed. During this process any labels, coating, etc is removed. The shredded aluminum is then melted with new aluminum. Most aluminum products that we buy have approximately 50% recycled product in them. The molten aluminium can now be converted to any shape as required. At time the process differs a little depending on the desired end product. You will agree that aluminium recycling is not very difficult. Aluminum is actually the most common metal on earth. So why is it so important to recycle it then? While we are at no risk of running out of aluminum any time soon, using new aluminum requires much more energy than using recycled aluminum. Waste is also a key issue. People living in North America waste a huge number of products every year. All this waste ends up in landfills and we are running out of room to establish more of them. Not only that, but waste harms all animal and plant life living in the landfill sites. To get more people to recycle aluminum, companies might consider deposits. When we buy a can, we usually are paying a deposit built into its price. If we want that deposit back, we must return the can. It then enters the cycle of going to a recycling center and then on to be processed. Most people help the recycling process and in the bargain protect the environment. There are still many people who throw away these cans and other recyclable products instead of sending them for recycling. Recycling is good for all. It reduces our waste products and conserves energy. The process also creates many jobs and helps the community. If there is no recycling program in your area why not get an environmental group started and make that your first project? You will probably find that many people want to get involved, including local area businesses.
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Harry Browar is the owner of First Alluminum, the #1 source on the internet for information about alluminum, For more articles on alluminum why not visit: www.firstaluminum.com/articles This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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