Many businesses focus on glass recycling and limiting paper waste in Canada. Aluminum is one of the most recyclable metals – 75% of aluminum ever made is still used today.
If you work in a manufacturing industry that handles aluminum or scrap metal, investing in a baler helps you cut costs and positively impact your business. Switzerland, Norway, Finland, and Germany recycle more than 90% of all aluminum beverage containers, compared to less than half of all cans sold each year in North America.
Benefits of Recycling Aluminum
When aluminum is tossed into the trash, the energy required to replace that discarded resource with new aluminum or bauxite ore is enough to keep a 100-watt incandescent light bulb burning for five hours or to power the average laptop computer for 11 hours, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
Recycling aluminum has many benefits, including:
- Recycling 1 tonne of aluminum saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 4 tonnes of bauxite (the raw material from aluminum).
- Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than producing aluminum from raw materials.
- Making aluminum cans from recycled metal is 20 times more energy efficient than primary material. It saves 97% of greenhouse gas emissions produced in primary production.
- After tossing that pop can into the blue bin, it can be completely recycled and back on the store shelves in 60 days.
What is an aluminum baler?
Balers for aluminum recycling compress and condense the material for improved recycling.
More products can be shipped efficiently when baled, compared to loose. This can help your company get a better return on your product and lower costs for transportation.
If you are a looking to invest in a baler for metal or aluminum recycling, the best options include:
What Can Aluminum Be Recycled Into?
This recycled material gets a new life every time it is appropriately recycled or compacted with a baler. Aluminum can be recycled into bicycles, airplane parts, new cans, vehicle rims, ductwork, and siding.