The Reason Putting Aluminum Cans in Recycle Bins is Important

Each week many people will go around their home and gather up all their used aluminum cans.  They will then toss them into recycle bins as part of their regular routine.  Most individuals don’t realize the positive environmental impact of their routine aluminum recycling.  It helps the environment and provides much needed funds in many communities. 

There are over tens of billions of beverages sold in cans in the United States every year.  Unfortunately less than 50 percent of them are recycled.  This means that over a million tons of wasted aluminum each year finds its way to landfills and incinerators.  These are aluminum cans that will have to be replaced by the industries that use them. 

The need to make more aluminum cans will increase the necessity to obtain all new materials for the manufacturing process.  This can damage the environment and create a constant waste of energy.  It requires tons of strip-mined bauxite ore to produce just one ton of aluminum.  This bauxite ore has to be crushed and treated before the manufacturing process begins. 

During the creation of aluminum, there is contamination put in mud as well as surface and groundwater.  This can have an adverse effect on the health of people and animals. 

When a person looks at aluminum cans, they need to know there is no limit on the number of times it can be recycled.  Aluminum is the type of metal that can be recycled continuously and not lose any of its material value.  When you put an aluminum can in a recycle bin, it can be used again in as little as two months. 

Each year hundreds of millions of dollars are paid for aluminum cans by the companies who make them.  In many communities this money is able to be used for helping non-profit organizations, school programs and more.