Aluminium
The
recycling
Aluminium
recycling
Aluminium
The SmartTiP
SmartTiP
recycling
LOGAN WASTE SERVICES
Aluminium is made from the ore bauxite, which in
Aluminiumis is
madeinfrom
the ore (Weipa),
bauxite, Northern
which in
Australia
mined
Queensland
Australia (Gove)
is mined
in Western
Queensland
(Weipa),
Northern
Territory
and
Australia
(Boddington,
Territory
(Gove)
and Western Australia (Boddington,
Huntly
and
Willowdale).
Huntly and Willowdale).
Natural resources used to make aluminium
Natural resources used to make aluminium
Bauxite
Bauxite
Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Aluminium is made from the ore bauxite, which
Aluminium
is made
from the oxides,
ore bauxite,
which
consists
mainly
of aluminium
iron oxides
consists
aluminium
iron caustic
oxides
and
clay. mainly
Bauxiteof
is crushed
andoxides,
mixed with
and clay.
Bauxite
is crushed
and mixed
with caustic
soda,
which
removes
impurities,
leaving
a fine
soda,
which
removes
impurities,
leaving
a fine
white powder, which is then heated to remove
any
white powder,
is thenpure
heated
to removeoxide
any
moisture.
Thiswhich
produces
aluminium
moisture. This
produces
pure aluminium
(alumina).
The alumina
is smelted
in a large oxide
steel
(alumina).
The alumina
is and
smelted
in apure
large
steel
furnace, removing
oxygen
leaving
molten
furnace, removing
and leaving
pure
aluminium.
Pure oxygen
aluminium
is poured
tomolten
make
aluminium. Pure aluminium is poured to make
ingots.
ingots.
Converting bauxite to aluminiuium is not as simple
Converting
aluminiuium
notthe
as simple
simple
Converting
bauxite
to and
aluminium
isisnot
as
as
melting bauxite
the oreto
recovering
metal.
as melting
ore electrical
and recovering
metal.
Instead,
a the
strong
current the
is passed
Instead, the
a strong
current
is passed
through
aluminaelectrical
(electrolysis)
separating
the
throughand
theleaving
alumina
(electrolysis)
separating
the
oxygen
the
pure aluminium,
which can
oxygen
andand
leaving
the pure
aluminium,
which
be
melted
poured
off. Small
amounts
of can
the
be melted(magnesium,
and poured silicon
off. Small
amounts of are
the
elements
or manganese)
elements
silicon or to
manganese)
are
added
to (magnesium,
the molten aluminium
give it added
added to the
molten resistance
aluminium to give
it added
strength,
increased
corrosion
or
strength,
increased
resistance
to this
corrosion
or
better
casting
properties.
Through
extraction
better casting
Through
these
extraction
better
casting
properties.
Through
this
extraction
processes
fiveproperties.
tonnes of bauxite
are
converted
to
processes
five of
tonnes
of bauxite are converted to
only
one tonne
aluminium.
only one tonne of aluminium.
Once hot, the aluminium can be rolled between large
Once hot,
aluminium
can be rolled
between
large
rollers
to the
produce
thin sheets
suitable
for making
rollers
to
produce
thin
sheets
suitable
for
making
cans and foil. Aluminium cans and aluminium foil
cansmade
and foil.
cans and
aluminium
foil
are
from Aluminium
the best quality
aluminium
as only
are made
from
the best quality
only
high
quality
aluminiumm
can be aluminium
pressed andasrolled
high
quality
cancan
canbe
bepressed
pressed
and rolled
rolled
high
quality
aluminiumm
and
so
thinly
andaluminium
still stay strong.
Cans
are excellent
for
so thinly and
still stay
Cans
areisexcellent
for
recycling
because
thestrong.
recycling
cost
much less
recycling
because
the recyclingfrom
costraw
is much
less
than
the cost
of manufacturing
materials.
than is
the
cost ofonly
manufacturing
from raw
materials.
This
because
5% of the energy
is needed
to
This is because
onlyto5%
of the aluminium
energy is needed
to
recycle
aluminum
remake
products
recycle
aluminum
to
remake aluminium
aluminium products
products
recycle
aluminium
to remake
from
aluminium
cans.
from aluminium cans.
One tonne of recycled aluminium cans will make one
One
tonne
of aluminium;
recycled aluminium
cans
will make
one
tonne
of new
there is NO
waste
material.
tonne of new aluminium; there is NO waste material.
The recycling of aluminium is critical to conserving
The
recycling
of aluminium
critical to
conserving
mineral
resources,
reducingis energy
consumption
mineral
resources,
reducing energy
consumption
from mining
and transportation
and reducing
waste
from
mining and
transportation
andmakes
reducing
waste
to landfill.
Aluminium
recycling
economic
to
Aluminium
makes and
economic
andlandfill.
environmental
senserecycling
as pure metals
many
and
environmental
sense
as
pure
metals
and
many
alloys need far less energy to recycle than to mine,
alloys
lessInenergy
to aluminium
recycle than
to mine,
extractneed
and far
smelt.
fact, 20
cans
could
extract
and smelt.
In fact,
aluminium
cans could
be recycled
with the
same20
amount
of energy
as it
be
recycled
with
the
same
amount
of
energy
as
it
takes to make one new can from raw materials.
takes to make one new can from raw materials.
Decomposition
Decomposition
Aluminium cans and aerosols can be recycled to help
Aluminium
cans
and aerosols
can be when
recycled
to help
save natural
resources,
however,
they
are
save
natural
resources,
however,
discarded
to landfill,
they can
take upwhen
to 500they
yearsare
to
discarded
to landfill, they can take up to 500 years to
decompose.
decompose.
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Aluminium
recycling
Aluminium
The SmartTiP
recycling
LOGAN WASTE SERVICES
continued...
General aluminium recycling - beyond the
recycling bin.
Aluminium cans placed in the recycling section of the
bin, are sent to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
for sorting. The aluminum cans are separated using
an ‘eddy current’ which repels the cans into a holding
bay. Once sorted, the cans are crushed into bales for
transportation to the reprocessing facilities.
At the reprocessing facilities, the cans are melted at
0
700 C in a rotary furnace. They are then cast into
ingots which are either used directly in the
production of industrial products (such as alloy gear
boxes and engine blocks) or converted into
aluminium sheets. Sheet aluminium is then used to
produce new aluminium cans, house siding, roof
guttering or even aircraft skins.
What can be recycled at the kerbside?
Aluminium drink cans
Aluminium aerosol cans
What cannot be recycled at the kerbside?
The following items are not acceptable in the
recycling section of your bin:
aluminium foil and aluminium pie trays; and
large aluminium items such bike frames etc.
Large aluminium items can cause damage to
machinery used in the recycling process, and items
such as aluminium foil and pie trays are too small for
collection.
Recycling tips
Facts
Australians consumed more than 3 billion
aluminium cans in 2002. Of these, 47% were soft
drink cans and 53% where alcoholic beverage
cans.
Australians currently recycle more than 2 billion
aluminium cans each year.
If you picked up the 900 million aluminium cans
that are thrown away every year and took them
to a scrap metal dealer, you would get $15 million.
That’s $15 million being buried in landfill every
year.
Aluminium cans are the only container permitted
in the Himalayas, Nepal, because they are light
and easy to crush. The local people collecting
the
cans earn
earn money
money from
from returning
returning
the discarded
discared cans
them for recycling.
So much electricity is needed for aluminium
production that the smelting plants (factories
that process aluminium) need their own power
plants.
Since 1980,
cans has
has
Since
1980, the
the weight
weight of
of aluminium
aluminum cans
been reduced by more than 30%, reducing the
amount of resources needed.
The recycling
cans in
in Australia
Australia
The
recycling rate
rate of
of aluminium
aluminum cans
in 1996 was 62%, in 2000 it was 74% and in
2003 was 77%.
Sources:
Visy - www.visy.com.au
Planet Ark - www.planteark.com.au
The Aluminium Can Group
www.aluminium-cans.com.au
Rinse and squash cans.
Remove lids and plastic nozzles from aerosols DO NOT SQUASH AEROSOL CANS!
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