How Is Aluminium Recycled?
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Collection and Compression
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Aluminum is one of the most commonly used, and most commonly recycled, metals currently in use. The first step in recycling aluminum is to collect it. Whether the aluminum is collected from individual homes or from larger city or county recycling centers, the aluminum is brought together in one location. The aluminum (most commonly in can form) collected at these regional facilities is crushed and bundled. The aluminum is crushed into 30-pound briquettes or bundled into 1,200-pound bales.
Transportation and Shredding
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Once the aluminum has been either crushed or bundled, it's purchased by aluminum manufacturing companies and the recycled product is sent to them. Once the aluminum has arrived at the manufacturer's facility, it's shredded into pieces no larger than a potato chip before being put through a process that will remove any coatings or designs on the aluminum. Once the metal is purified, it's melted down and then blended with new, virgin aluminum.
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Pouring and Rolling
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Once the melted, recycled aluminum is mixed with the new aluminum, the combined product is poured into metal ingots. The ingots, weighing more than 30,000 pounds and roughly 25 feet long, are loaded into a rolling machine that will press the aluminum into sheets roughly one hundredth of an inch thick. The aluminum sheets can be used to make new products or stored away for later use.
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