Aluminum is the third most abundant metal in the crust of the earth, found chiefly in bauxite ore. It has long been used in the transportation, construction, and aerospace industries, and can be found abundantly in everyday consumer products as well. Aluminum use rose sharply throughout the 20th century, and while this has led to an increase in bauxite mining, it has led to an increase in aluminum recycling as well. Scrap aluminum can be used to create brand new aluminum products after it is melted down at Calgary scrap metal recycling facilities such as Federal Metals Inc.
Recycling aluminum is a highly environmentally beneficial activity, and there are some ways you can help make it even more so.
Aluminum: The Most Environmentally Friendly Metal
Recycling any type of scrap metal is beneficial for the environment, but aluminum stands in a league of its own. It only takes 5% as much energy to create new aluminum from aluminum scrap as it does to extract it from bauxite ore. Plus, about 75% of all the aluminum that has ever been mined is still in use today. No matter how many times it is recycled, aluminum retains all of the properties that make it so desirable. Much of the aluminum that is recycled at scrap metal recycling facilities in Calgary and around the world goes towards creating energy-efficient buildings and transportation, making it even more environmentally friendly.
Since aluminum recycling is already eco-friendly, what you can do to be more eco-friendly while recycling aluminum is to prepare it in a way that will help make the recycling process more efficient.
Helping the Aluminum Recycling Process Go Smoothly
When a metal is being recycled, any impurities must be separated out in order to ensure a high-quality final product. The best way to make sure that your aluminum scrap sails through the recycling process using as little energy as possible is to make sure that it is relatively clean before recycling it. In more cases, there’s no need to use soap or even hot water. A cold-water rinse and perhaps a little elbow grease is all it takes.
You might worry that all this washing and rinsing is wasting water, but consider this: the aluminum mining process uses three to 10 times as much water as the aluminum recycling process. A small rinse to help the recycling process along creates water savings in the long run.
Keep in mind that foil food seals, such as those found on yogurt, are generally not recyclable. While they do contain aluminum, they are also made out of plastic.
Calgary Metal Recyclers Accepting Aluminum
If you have some scrap aluminum ready to be recycled, then the scrap metal suppliers at Calgary’s Federal Metals Inc. would like to buy it from you. We provide fair scrap metal prices in Calgary that will make bringing in your haul worthwhile, and we buy a variety of other non-ferrous scrap metals as well. You’ll be doing your part to help protect the environment simply by bringing your aluminum in for recycling.
For more information on scrap metal recycling in Calgary, contact Federal Metals Inc. today.
