Recycling
A key feature of aluminium is its ability to be endlessly recycled without loss of quality. It is estimated that two-thirds of the aluminium produced since 1886 is still in use today.
The recycling of aluminium saves energy, conserves natural resources and reduces precious landfill waste. The aluminium can is therefore good news for the environment and good news for the economy.
Alcoa is the largest aluminium recycler in Australia and Alcoa Australia Rolled Products’ recycling facility in Yennora NSW, which is strongly linked to its sister plant in Victoria, recycles 55,000 tonnes of aluminium and about half a billion cans each year.
Globally, Alcoa utilises about 20 percent of recycled metal for fabricated products and is working to increase this to 50 per cent.
Here are a few facts on recycling aluminium:
- Used aluminium cans are recycled and returned to a store shelf as a new can in as few as 60 days.
- Recycling saves 95 per cent of the energy it would take to make new metal from bauxite ore.
- Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours.
- The aluminium can recycling rate for Australia is around 70 per cent.
- The aluminium can is 100% recyclable; there are no labels or covers to be removed.
|
 |
Download information on Recycling
 go
Information on the recycling process
go
|
