This is why Aluminium is Environmentally Legit

If there is one unsustainable habit that I find particularly hard to change, it’s my love for Diet soda. I often get into debates with friends on how it’s not as harmful as others may think. For deep inside I know that unlike plastic, aluminium is not hurting the earth.

So one day, I decided to find why is Aluminium becoming the new favourite? Is it actually as eco-friendly as “they” claim or is it just another fad?

Let me give some background. You may or may not know that it is the top 100 companies that contribute to more than 70% of the total pollution.

Strong voices against plastic pollution, e-waste generation and climate change has led some of the corporate giants make important eco-friendlier decisions. Like Apple announced that it's iPads and watches would feature components fashioned from 100 percent recycled aluminium. Coca Cola’s aluminium packaging will be made of up to 70% recycled content.

Also, in order to reap the most environmental rewards of using aluminium, companies and individuals ought to make sure to use recycled aluminium, not virgin aluminium.

As I dug deeper, it was easy to see why so many companies choose aluminium for its environmental benefits.

1| It can be recycled indefinitely

Unlike plastic which is down-cycled every time it is rehashed. Not to forget less than 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled till date.

2| Recycling this green metal is extremely eco-friendly

Recycling aluminium saves about 90 percent of the energy vs making fresh aluminium. Mining bauxite ore and turning it into aluminium is pretty environmentally destructive and energy-intensive.

I have another takeaway for you. Initially I used to think that crushing cans before trashing would help in avoiding counterfeit products. Also, it would occupy lesser space in the bin and at the collection centres.

While it may all seem logical, crushing makes it more difficult for recyclers to sort distorted cans because of dirt and deformity. Especially in the places where we have one stream trash collection. This way, they would either end up in landfill or might just contaminate other recyclable materials by being missorted.

But then there’s the question of cutting down waste versus just making a different type of trash by excessive consumption. I understand.

We should not consume beyond our radical capacities. I am definitely working on my soda-habits. There are no two thoughts that all of us are far from perfect. No matter how appropriately we dispose of our cans, some of them will still end up in landfills.

Until next time.

Cheers,
Sumedha – Your eco-storyteller.