Consumers

Why is recycling aluminium so important?

Aluminium is 100 per cent recyclable. The metal can be melted down and reformed without losing any quality. And the process can be repeated over and over again.

Making aluminium from raw materials is a complex process. However once made the metal can be melted down and reformed without losing any quality. And the process can be repeated over and over again.

Along with the energy savings, recycling aluminium saves around 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to the 'primary' production process. Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 9 tonnes of CO₂ emissions; So when you consider that 1 tonne of CO₂ is equivalent to driving 2800 miles the benefits of recycling really start to become compelling.

Nearly 90% of the drinks cans sold in the UK are made of aluminium, and when you factor in all the aerosols and foil food trays also on the market, that adds up to over 150,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging that could be recycled. The current recycling rate for drinks cans stands at 55%, and the overall rate for aluminium packaging is 42% – so there's still a long way to go to reach that goal.

The drinks can you recycle today could be made into a new can, filled and put back on the shelf in just six weeks. In a whole year, that one can could be recycled eight times, saving enough energy to make 160 new cans.

What can I recycle?