Aluminium is infinitely recyclable Australians use over 3 billion aluminium cans annually, with approximately 350,000 aluminium cans made every minute 2 Aluminium can be endlessly recycled without any loss of quality 3 By recycling just six aluminium cans you can save enough energy to offset the carbon emissions from a 10km journey in an average-size car, 17km bus ride or 25km train trip 1 Every tonne of steel recycled saves 1,131kg of iron ore, 633kg of coal and 54kg of limestone 1 Making new products from recycled steel cans helps save up to 75% of the energy and 40% of the water needed to make steel from raw materials. Air pollution is also reduced by almost 90% 1 Making new cans from used aluminium requires only 5% of the energy needed to make a new can from scratch 1 1. Sustainability Victoria 2. Townsville City Council 3. The International Aluminium Institute Steel and aluminium are incredibly practical resources, and can be found in a range of applications including drink cans, buildings, cars, airplanes and more. The production of new aluminium and steel products is draining on our natural resources and contributes to increased greenhouse gases. Aluminium and steel products are 100% recyclable and require less energy to produce than virgin products. STEEL & ALUMINIUM 01816 fact sheet Recycling & Recovery

save enough energy to offset the carbon STEE & ALUMUM · Making new products from recycled steel cans helps save up to 75% of the energy and 40% of the water needed to make steel

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Page 1: save enough energy to offset the carbon STEE & ALUMUM · Making new products from recycled steel cans helps save up to 75% of the energy and 40% of the water needed to make steel

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable

Australians use over 3 billion aluminium cans annually, with approximately 350,000 aluminium cans made every minute2

Aluminium can be endlessly recycled without any loss of quality3

By recycling just six aluminium cans you can save enough energy to offset the carbon emissions from a 10km journey in an average-size car, 17km bus ride or 25km train trip1

Every tonne of steel recycled saves 1,131kg of iron ore, 633kg of coal and 54kg of limestone1

Making new products from recycled steel cans helps save up to 75% of the energy and 40% of the water needed to make steel from raw materials. Air pollution is also reduced by almost 90%1

Making new cans from used aluminium requires only 5% of the energy needed to make a new can from scratch1

1. Sustainability Victoria2. Townsville City Council 3. The International Aluminium Institute

Steel and aluminium are incredibly practical resources, and can be found in a range of applications including drink cans, buildings, cars, airplanes and more.

The production of new aluminium and steel products is draining on our natural resources and contributes to increased greenhouse gases.

Aluminium and steel products are 100% recyclable and require less energy to produce than virgin products.

STEE

L &

ALUM

INIU

0181

fact sheetRecycling & Recovery

Page 2: save enough energy to offset the carbon STEE & ALUMUM · Making new products from recycled steel cans helps save up to 75% of the energy and 40% of the water needed to make steel

CollectionRecycling is collected from homes, businesses and recycling sites and sent to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF).

SeparationAt the MRF it is passed under a magnet to remove any steel as aluminium is not magnetic, the aluminium cans will not be picked up.

Eddy CurrentAn ‘eddy current’ is used to induce a magnetic effect in the aluminium cans, which are then magnetically lifted from the other recycling.

What happens to aluminium?

Baling and ShreddingThe cans are squashed into blocks (called bales) and transported to an aluminium smelter, where they are shredded and passed under another magnet to remove any remaining steel.

MeltingA ‘decoater’ blasts hot air (500°C) onto the aluminium pieces to remove any paint. They are then put into a furnace and heated to 700°C to form a liquid.

Moulding and RollingThe liquid aluminium is poured into moulds where it solidifies into blocks called ‘ingots’. These are sent to rolling mills where they are flattened into sheets and made into new cans.