Metal Recycling

Aluminum and Steel

• Metal is usually separated into two groups: aluminum and steel.
• You can test which metal your waste is by using a magnet. Aluminum metal is non-magnetic whereas steel is magnetic.
• There may be a symbol, such as a alu mark, on the product to indicate what metal it is made from.
• Drink cans are usually made from aluminum and food cans are usually made from steel.
• Deposit used cans at your local recycling bank.
• Make sure drink and food cans are clean before recycling.
• Aerosol containers can be recycled, but only when they are completely empty.
• Metallic plastic film, such as chocolate wrappers, cannot be recycled.

Did you know that a littered aluminum can will take 300 years to break down on its own? By recycling aluminum cans, we save landfill space as well as energy. For example, it takes 95% less energy to produce new aluminum from discarded aluminum cans than from raw materials.