5 rules for recycling aluminum (and cans) effectively
Aluminum is 100% and infinitely recyclable. In 2024, Italy recovered 68% of its packaging, avoiding 440,000 tons of CO₂. Here are five key rules for recycling aluminum cans effectively.
ALUMINUM IS A CIRCULAR TREASURE, AND CANS ARE ITS SYMBOL.
Cans are the ultimate icon of aluminum recycling: lightweight, ubiquitous, recognizable, and above all, infinitely recyclable without losing quality. A daily gesture (opening a soda, finishing the contents, holding the can in your hand) is the beginning of an industrial process that transforms waste into a resource. It’s no coincidence that 130 cans are enough to make a scooter: a figure that gives an idea of the often-overlooked value we hold in our hands.
In 2024, Italy recycled over 68% of its aluminum packaging, achieving a 95% energy saving compared to primary production and avoiding over 440,000 tons of CO₂. A powerful and technologically advanced supply chain, coordinated by CIAL, but one that remains fragile unless citizens’ behavior intervenes upstream. It all starts in the kitchen, in bars, in offices: everywhere a can is consumed. That’s where it’s decided whether that aluminum will come back to life or not.
THE 5 GOLDEN RULES FOR RECYCLING EFFECTIVELY AND SAVING CANS FROM LANDFILL
To truly recycle cans and all aluminum packaging, just follow five simple but fundamental rules.
- Understand what to dispose of
Not just cans: thin sheets, trays, spray cans, caps, tubes. If the aluminum is solid or predominantly aluminum, it should be disposed of in the designated container according to local regulations. Even small pieces count, as long as they are recognizable.
- Don’t wash it: just empty it
The can doesn’t need to be washed. Just remove any liquid residue: using water to clean it is a wasteful process. The systems work very well even with harmless micro-residues.
- Separate when possible
If a package has components made of different materials, separating them helps improve the quality of the recycling. Aluminum with aluminum, plastic with plastic.
- Dispose of it in the correct container
In many municipalities, aluminum is collected together with plastic and metals, in others with glass or in dedicated containers. Following local regulations is essential to avoid dispersing recoverable material.
- Crumpling: the decisive gesture
This is the simplest rule, but also the most crucial. Crumpling aluminum allows the facilities to recognize and recover it without error. If left flat or scattered, many items risk disappearing along the sorting conveyors. Crumpling them makes them physically interceptable.
In Italy, 100% of the aluminum produced comes from recycling: a strategic supply chain based on a daily gesture. Every recycled can is raw material for a new production cycle.