The Green Loop – Why Aluminum Packaging is Infinitely Recyclable

If you’re a business owner on the market for a new packaging material, aluminum is likely a material that is already in your crosshairs.

Aluminum packaging has been making waves in a number of industries over the years, for a number of different reasons. Considering the fact that plastic packaging is rapidly becoming less common, due largely to the environmental impacts, industry experts are switching to more environmentally friendly, sustainable options.

Materials such as glass, cardboard, paper, and compostable matter are all great options, though they do have their limitations. Hailed for its sustainability, particularly when it comes to recycling however, aluminum packaging has evolved enormously over the years and is now more common than ever.

If sustainability is a priority for your company, aluminum packaging ticks a plethora of different boxes. Below, we’re going to look at why aluminum is infinitely recyclable and why it should be your packaging material of choice.

Why is Aluminum Infinitely Recyclable?

Aluminum is a material that is renowned for its durability, its protective properties, and its lightweight. It is also famous for being one of the most sustainable materials on the planet. Despite this, however, producing aluminum from new is not particularly “green” and is, in fact, somewhat detrimental to the environment in general.

To begin with, before it even becomes aluminum, it must be mined, combined with bauxite, and processed and refined into the lightweight metal that we all know and love. As a by-product of this process, what is known as ‘red sludge’ or ‘red mud’ is produced. This is a highly caustic substance that poses a number of risks to the environment.

Thus far, aluminum is hardly ticking the right boxes when it comes to sustainability, so what’s the story? Well, thankfully, aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material. That’s right, aluminum can be recycled an infinite number of times, with no loss in strength or durability. Once it has been recycled, it goes back into circulation, effectively forming a green loop.

So, how is it that aluminum can be recycled endlessly? Well, from a scientific standpoint, it all boils down to its atomic crystal structure. Plastic, which is somewhat recyclable, can only be recycled a small number of times. Each time it is melted down, its molecules become weaker. This is why recycled plastic is thinner and weaker than single-use plastic made from new. For companies looking for sustainable packaging, this is not much use.

Aluminum, however, is very different. Aluminum, once melted, retains all of its strength and physical properties. As it is a metallic element its crystal structure can easily be reshaped into a different state, with no loss of strength or durability. That means that aluminum drinks bottles and cans can be recycled and turned into blister packs, pouches, foil trays, and plenty more besides.

Why Aluminum Should Be Your Sustainable Packaging Material of Choice

Okay, so we’ve looked at aluminum’s recyclability, but why is it that it is being hailed as the ultimate sustainable packaging hero?

Below, we’re going to highlight a few reasons why aluminum should be your sustainable packaging material of choice.

Infinitely recyclable

Revisiting what we previously touched upon, aluminum is a material that can withstand being recycled an infinite number of times.

No matter how many times it is recycled, aluminum retains its strength and durability and experiences no losses in quality. Compare this with plastic, which can only really be recycled between 2 and 9 times at the most, and you can see why this is so important.

Energy Savings

Another reason to use aluminum packaging if you’re looking to be more eco-conscious, is its energy efficiency.

As mentioned, mining, refining, and smelting aluminum from bauxite requires a lot of energy, then there’s the ‘red mud’ to contend with. Once aluminum is produced, however, it can enter an infinite recycling loop and can be used over and over again, so there’s less need to replace it with new aluminum.

Recycling aluminum uses a whopping 95% less energy than is required to produce it as a brand-new material. That’s quite the saving, so you can see why it’s being hailed for its sustainability.

Lightweight and Economic

Despite being extremely strong and durable, aluminum is also very light in weight. Because of this, it is considerably cheaper to ship and transport than heavier materials such as glass.

Its light weight doesn’t just help save money either. As it is lighter, less fuel is required when shipping and transporting it, which helps to cut back on emissions and lower its carbon footprint.

Versatility

Finally, aluminum packaging is also extremely versatile, which is another reason why your business would benefit from it.

Aluminum can be bent and shaped into a variety of different forms and can be used in a wide range of different industries. Whether you work in food and catering, health and wellbeing, pharmaceuticals, beauty and cosmetics, or any other sector, chances are you’ll have a variety of different types of aluminum packaging to choose from.