Quick facts about recycling aluminum from the Aluminum Associations website:
- A recycled aluminum beverage can is able to be back on the shelf in as little as 60 days.
- Aluminum cans are the most widely recycled beverage container in the country.
- There is no limit to the amount of times aluminum can be recycled.
- Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than making new aluminum.
- Overall, recycling saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Very often we think aluminum cans when we think about recycled aluminum but so much more is made of aluminum and can be recycled.
Anomatic Corp. is worldwide leader of anodized aluminum packaging for the cosmetic, healt and beauty, spirits, pharmaceutical cataogries and more.
During my search for material for the post about "The good and the bad about recycled aluminum" I found Anomatic Corp. a very interesting company who already have done a lot to be more environmental friendly.
Anomatic Corp. uses anodizing because of its environmental friendly properties.
Taken with courtesy from Aluminum Anodizers Council website the following should be said:
The environmental friendliness of anodizing is among its best properties.
Anodizing uses simple water-based chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, soap and nitric acid all in diluted solutions. They can be treated easily and release no harmful by-products. The liquid by-products are recycled and returned to the process. Solid by-products can be isolated and diverted for use in the manufacture of alum, baking powder, cosmetics, newsprint, fertilizer and water purification systems.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which heavily regulates the production and use of solvent-based paints and flouropolymer finishes containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), regards anodizing as an environmentally friendly process.
The by-product anodizing creates is composed primarily of aluminum hydroxide, some aluminum sulfate and water. It is harmless because it contains no significant amounts of heavy metals. In some cases, municipal sewerage treatment plants benefit from these by-products by using them as filters in the secondary treatment of sewage.
In the next number of the magazine Light Metal Age, you will be able to read the answers to my questions I got from Anomatic in my interview with Steve Rusch, the Marketing Director.
If you find this article useful and you would like to know more please contact me blog@aluconsult.com__________________________________________________
