National Energy Education Development Project reports that Americans drink from 200 million aluminum cans and 100 millions steel cans each day. If metal recycling was not done, there would be an abundance of metal in the United States. Metal can be dumped on a landfill or recycled. Recycling is widely recognized as being the most effective method to reduce aluminium and steel waste – more info?

Aluminum and Steel Recyclage

Aluminum does not exist alone. It is only combined with other materials. Alumina is formed when aluminum and other metals are combined in a reduction plant. It’s then dissolved or melted in large containers in a solution of liquid salt. In order to separate aluminum from oxygen, an electric current is passed through the liquid. Electric energy is required for the whole reduction process.

Aluminum made from scrap aluminum, however, requires much less energy. National Energy Education Development Project reports that the National Energy Education Development Project estimates recycling aluminum cans to save the same amount of energy as a cup of gasoline. Aluminium’s value as scrap is high because of the energy savings. Recycling aluminum helps manufacturers conserve energy and save money.

Recycling Aluminum

When consumers bring their aluminum cans into a recycling company or grocery, the cycle begins. After that, the aluminum is sent to a plant for recycling. In this plant, aluminum scraps are shredded then melted to form an aluminum ingot. These ingots will be formed into aluminium sheets, or another form. Aluminum is then made into cans.

Steel recycling

Steel is one of the most recyclable materials in the United States. This is because there are endless quantities of scrap steel from old cars, appliances, buildings, bridges and other structures. It takes 60% less energy to manufacture recycled steel than iron ore. This is why nearly all products made today use some recycled metal.

Almost the exact same procedure is followed for steel can recycling as it is with aluminum can recycling. When steel scrap from recycling centres, homes or waste-toenergy plants are collected, they’re shipped to a scrap buyer or processor.

The steel scraps melt in an electric furnace, and are then put into rolling casters which flatten out the sheets. It can be made into many different products including cars, food cans and girders. U.S. steel and aluminum cans are made with at least 25% of recycled material, while some products have as much as 100%.