Dos and Don’ts When Recycling Aluminum Packaging

Whether you’re a business owner dealing with hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds of aluminum packaging each week, or simply an environmentally-conscious consumer looking to do your bit for the planet and dispose of your beer cans sensibly, it’s important to remember that aluminum is one of the most sustainable packaging materials in circulation today.

As sustainability is such an integral part of so many business strategies, aluminum packaging is now being more widely adopted across a selection of different business sectors. That means more aluminum in circulation, and, potentially, more aluminum being recycled.

One of the primary reasons why aluminum packaging is being used in place of plastic is because it is infinitely recyclable. Yes, that’s right, it can be recycled an endless number of times, and will not suffer any losses in terms of strength or durability. Recycled aluminum can also be repurposed into products, with the added bonus of using 95% less energy than mining and processing it as brand new.

Ultimately however, it’s down to us to recycle the material safely and responsibly. To help us achieve precisely that, here are several dos and don’ts when recycling aluminum packaging.

Aluminum Packaging Recycling Don’ts

Kicking things off today, we’re going to begin with a look at what you should NOT do when it comes to recycling aluminum packaging.

Whether you’re looking to dispose of an old soda can, or repurpose an inventory’s worth of aluminum pouches, here are several things you should avoid doing when it comes to aluminum packaging recycling.

Don’t Throw Aluminum Packaging in the Trash

First and foremost, when you dispose of your aluminum packaging, it should NEVER be thrown into the trash. Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, so in all honesty, there is no reason for it to ever be thrown into the trash.

Aluminum can be recycled over and over again, and repurposed an infinite number of times. If it goes into the trash, however, it makes its way to landfill and will likely never find its way back into circulation, or be used again.

Don’t Recycle Dirty Packaging

While you don’t need to leave your aluminum packaging sparkling clean when it goes for recycling, you still need to ensure that it’s fairly clean. Therefore, try to ensure that you don’t recycle dirty packaging.

Aluminum foil trays for example, are ideal for food preparation, but they can become coated in grease as a result. If so, carefully dispose of any grease or food remnants before you recycle it. Heavily soiled aluminum packaging cannot be recycled so be sure to give it a quick rinse, and dry at the very least.

Don’t Place Aluminum Packaging inside Other Recyclable Materials

While cardboard is another sustainable packaging material that can be recycled, if you deal with cardboard as well as aluminum, it’s important that you keep the two separate before they go for recycling.

Don’t try to save space by placing smaller aluminum packaging into a cardboard box, and then compacting it down, as this only makes life harder and may result in both materials not being suitable for the recycling process.

Aluminum Packaging Recycling Dos

Okay, that’s the don’ts out of the way, now let’s look at the dos.

Here are a few things that you should do when it comes to recycling your aluminum packaging.

Always Recycle Aluminum

As mentioned, aluminum is infinitely recyclable so if you are disposing of aluminum packaging there really is no reason for you not to put it to be recycled.

Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than processing it and refining it as new. It can also be used over and over again, in a variety of different materials, forms, and products. It’s not only one of the most sustainable materials in existence, it’s also one of the most versatile as well.

Try to Ball up Your Aluminum

If you’re recycling aluminum foil lids, or foil in general, rather than putting small pieces in for recycling, try to clump them together and ball them up.

Balling up your aluminum into small clumps or balls makes it much easier for the material to be recycled. It not only saves time, but it also helps save energy, and results in less waste.

Remove any Non-Recyclable Parts

As sustainable as aluminum packaging is, there will be some examples out there that feature materials or parts that cannot be recycled. These must first be removed and separated, otherwise there’s a risk that the entirety of the packaging will be unsuitable for the recycling process.

Remember Why You’re Doing It

Finally, if ever it feels like too much effort, or you simply can’t be bothered to sort your aluminum packaging out from the rest of your materials, take a quick moment to remind yourself why you’re recycling it in the first place.

The planet is currently in the midst of a climate crisis, we have plastic polluting our oceans, greenhouse emissions are dangerously high, and if we don’t act now, it will be too late. Aluminum packaging is not just a sustainable material, it’s a viable alternative to plastic packaging , and for many, it’s the future.