| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 97 11:15 WET DST From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Recycling pop cans (Andrea)
April 9, 1997
Dear Andrea,
In lay terms, aluminum cans are collected by recycling programs, or by Aluminum companies, they are squashed, baled and densified, and shipped to large aluminum companies like Alcoa or Alcan, or sometimes to their proxies. Usually they remelt the scrap cans and mix them with virgin aluminum, and reform the materials into pop cans through the normal manufacturing process.
It costs a lot less to manufacture scrap aluminum than virgin aluminum. However, the major problem with old aluminum cans is that any water left in them (stale soda or beer) becomes an explosive hazard when not removed, and removed before melting. So there is another process for doing this as well. For further information:
Alcan Aluminum Corp, Recycling Dept. PO Box 6977, Cleveland, OH 44101
Alcoa Recycling Co, 1100 Riverview Tower, 900 S. Gay St., Knoxville, TN 37902
Consolidated Aluminum, Bens Run Recycling, 11960 Westline Industrial Rd., St. Louis, MO 63146
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