How to Reuse, Recycle, and Reduce Aluminum

Aluminum is 100% recyclable, yet only about 65% of the average Americans household aluminum gets recycled each year. Nearly all of that is in the form of aluminum cans. You can recycle 100% of the aluminum your family uses, and here's how to do it.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a desire to restyle and reduce aluminum use

1. 
   reduce aluminum foil use

   Eliminate, or significantly reduce your aluminum foil use. It's estimated that each American throws away about three pounds of aluminum foil per year. None of that foil should be getting to the landfill, recycle it instead. Not all recyclers allow aluminum foil, but if yours does then make sure to do your part. Remember it takes around 400 years for that aluminum foil to break down naturally.
   
   If you're lucky, like me, your city does allow aluminum foil to be recycled. Just wash, and dry before recycling with the rest of your household aluminum. Or follow your cities recycling regulations for aluminum.
   
   Instead of using aluminum foil to cover leftovers place food in bowls with lids. Or make your own covers.
   
   Rewash and reuse all the aluminum foil that you do use until it can't be used anymore and then take it to the recyclers.
   
   You can also recycle those aluminum pie plates and other baking containers, so be sure to recycle them too.

2. 
   aluminum radiator

   Recycle all the aluminum packaging that comes into your household per year. Remember aluminum is 100% recyclable. The average American throws away 14 1/2 pounds of aluminum from packaging a year. That's not counting aluminum cans. It is all recyclable, and we can all do our part to see that our household aluminum does get recycled.
   
   Consult your area recycling company for how and where to recycle aluminum packaging from your household, or from your job.

3. 
   aluminum wire

   Aluminum cans are the most common aluminum recyclable, but we can do even more. Do you recycle the 2.5 cans that each American worker is said to consume at work each day? If your work does not recycle aluminum cans, maybe someone can at least be responsible for taking the cans home and recycling them.
   
   Recycling aluminum cans is big business. It's also good for the environment so do your part.

4. 
   aluminum recyclables

   Other aluminum recyclables include things like aluminum siding, gutters, aluminum wire, and anything else made of 100% aluminum. It can all be recycled. And it all should be. Our landfills are far too full of recyclable materials like aluminum.

Tips & Warnings

• Recycle 100% of the aluminum that comes into your household.
• Drastically reduce your households use of aluminum foil.
• Don't forget to recycle aluminum cans and other aluminum at your workplace.

Resources

• All about Aluminum

[ViktoryaHale]

on 10/29/2009 We all need to do our part! Nice read.

[carolzn]

on 10/27/2009 Great ideas on recycling aluminum.

[survivoryea]

on 10/26/2009 Excellent article! Recycling aluminum is an important action to preserve this planet-every little thing you can do helps! Thanks!

[LilacGirl]

on 10/19/2009 Good point Virginia, I do this but didn't put it in the article. All aluminum can be recycled.

[Veesites]

on 10/19/2009 There are aluminum parts on many containers that can be separated out, like the ends of cardboard juice cans. Good information. Thanks.