Can Aluminum Cans Be Recycled? - (The Truth might surprise you)

Can Aluminum Cans Be Recycled? - (The Truth might surprise you) LIKE + FOLLOW FOR MORE SAFETY FIRST: You should always wear gloves to handle scrap metal TODAY WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENS TO RECYCLED ALUMINUM CANS. IN ALABAMA WITH CONSTELLIUM AND AN ALUMINUM RECYCLING FACILITY THAT'S BEEN HERE IN THE U.S.A. RECYCLING ALUMINUM FOR THE PAST 90 YEARS. THEY ARE CURRENTLY ONE OF THE LARGEST USED BEVERAGE CAN RECYCLING FACILITIES ON THE PLANET. SINCE ALUMINIUM IS INFINITELY RECYCLABLE AND 75% OF ALL ALUMINIUM EVER MINED IS STILL IN CIRCULATION TODAY, THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE CANS YOU SEE HERE IN THESE BALES HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THESE FIERY FURNACES MORE THAN ONCE AND IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO RIDE THE ROLLER COASTER OF REBIRTH YET AGAIN. BEHIND ME EACH OF THESE BALES WEIGHS ABOUT 1,000 POUNDS AND CONTAINS ABOUT 30,000 ALUMINIUM DRINKING CANS. HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AMERICANS CONSUME ABOUT 100 BILLION CANS A YEAR AND THEY NEED TO BE RECYCLED SOMEWHERE. THE BIG BALES OF CANS ARE OFFLOADED FROM SEMI TRUCKS AND STACKED NEATLY POSITIONED IN ROWS READY FOR THEIR TURN TO BE GRABBED BY THE CLAW. THE CLAW IS REALLY A GRAPPLE EXCAVATOR THAT SHREDS FULL BALES OF CANS TO GET THEM READY FOR PROCESSING. THUMBS UP FOR THAT COOL MACHINE. ONCE THE BALES ARE BROKEN OPEN, THE BIG FRONT LOADER CAN THEN SCOOP UP THE LOOSE CANS AND DROP THEM ONTO A VIBRATORY CONVEYOR BELT. THE VIBRATIONS HELP SIFT THE CANS DOWN ONTO THE CONVEYOR UNIFORMLY SO THE FACILITY INSIDE HAS A STEADY STREAM OF ALUMINIUM SCRAP TO WORK WITH. SHREDDING THE CANS ACCOMPLISHES MULTIPLE THINGS. 1, THE SMALLER SCRAPS ARE EASIER TO WORK WITH AND 2, SHREDDING MAKES SURE THAT THERE IS NO LIQUID REMAINING IN ANY OF THE CANS SINCE LIQUID COULD BE CATASTROPHIC TO THE FURNACES AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER. SO THE CRUSH CANS COME IN FROM OUTSIDE, INSIDE THIS TUMBLER RIGHT HERE WHERE THEY GET DELAMINATED AND THEN THROWN DOWN INTO THE FURNACE RIGHT HERE WHERE EVERYTHING GETS MELTED UP. THIS DELACQUERING PROCESS STRIPS AWAY THE PAINT AND ENAMEL ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CANS TO GET THE ALUMINIUM CLEANER BEFORE IT FALLS INTO THE FURNACE. AND CURIOUSLY, THE BEST WAY TO MIX THE NEW CAN SCRAPS IN WITH THE ALREADY HOT MOLTEN METAL IS WITH TWO MECHANICALLY STOMPING FEET LIKE SOME KIND OF STEAMPUNK WINE PRESS. THE OVERSIZED ALUMINIUM BOOT STOPPERS HELP PRESS THE TOP LAYERS OF SCRAP DOWN INTO THE MOLTEN ALUMINIUM UNDERNEATH. ALUMINIUM MELTS AT ABOUT 1,220 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. SO THESE FURNACES ARE COOKING QUITE LITERALLY. I HAD TO PUT ON SOME SPECIAL PPE TO KEEP ME SAFE. THIS ALUMINIZED JACKET AND GLOVES DO TWO THINGS. THEY REFLECT A LOT OF THE RADIANT HEAT COMING FROM INSIDE THE FURNACE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE MADE WITH ALUMINIUM THEMSELVES SO IF THERE IS ANY ACCIDENTAL SPLASHES THE ALUMINIUM WOULD BEAT UP AND ROLL OFF OF MY SUIT KEEPING ME SAFE UNDERNEATH, HOPEFULLY. SPEAKING OF SPLASHES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS HERE AT THE FACTORY IS LIQUID GETTING INSIDE OF THE FURNACE OR THE CRUCIBLE SINCE LIQUID WATER EXPANDS ABOUT 1,000 TIMES IN VOLUME WHEN IT TURNS TO STEAM. ANY CANS WITH LIQUID STILL INSIDE OF THEM WOULD CREATE AN EXPLOSIVE SILVERY LAVA BUBBLE, WHICH IS WHY THE SHREDDING AND DRYING PROCESS IS SO IMPORTANT. NOW THAT WE HAVE THE MOLTEN ALUMINIUM LAVA, I'LL MELT IT UP INSIDE OF THE FURNACE. IT'S TIME TO COLLECT IT ALL IN THE LARGEST CRUCIBLE I'VE EVER SEEN. THE CRUCIBLE IS A SPECIALLY BUILT CUP THAT CAN COLLECT THE SILVERY LIQUID ALUMINIUM FOR TRANSPORT. SINCE THE CASTING BUILDING IS ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AWAY, WE HAVE TO DRIVE THE LIQUID OVER TO THE NEXT BUILDING AND A REMOTE CONTROLLED OVERHEAD CRANE DOES ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR US. RECYCLING ALUMINIUM USES 95% LESS ENERGY THAN MINING NEW ALUMINIUM FROM THE GROUND, WHICH ALSO MEANS RECYCLED ALUMINIUM HAS 95% FEWER EMISSIONS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DECREASING OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN MINES SINCE WE CAN JUST RECYCLE OUR OWN SUPPLY FOREVER AS LONG OF COURSE AS YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR CANS IN THE RIGHT BIN. IT'S ALSO AT THIS POINT THAT CANSTELLIUM CAN ADD MANGANESE TO THE TROUGH TO KEEP THE ALUMINIUM ALLOY CONSISTENT AS WELL AS SOME PINK SALT WHICH HELPS ACTS AS A FLUX. THE SALT HELPS COLLECT CONTAMINANTS THAT CAN BE SCRAPED OFF THE TOP OF THE CRUCIBLE. THE SLAG THAT'S GETTING SCRAPED OFF IS JUST THE IMPURITIES AND NON ALUMINIUM METALS THAT HAVE FLOATED UP TO THE SURFACE. YEAH, IT'S PRETTY WARM IN HERE. PRETTY WARM, PRETTY WARM. AFTER THE TOP IS SCRAPED OFF, THE WHOLE CRUCIBLE IS HOISTED BACK ONTO THE AWAITING TRUCK TO BE DRIVEN OFF TO THE CASTING PORTION OF THE FACTORY, WHICH IS ANOTHER FUN PROCESS TO WATCH. IF THE TRUCKS AREN'T ABLE TO LEAVE RIGHT AWAY, THEY CAN PARK UNDER SOME TORCHES TO HELP KEEP THE ALUMINIUM FROM SOLIDIFYING SINCE THAT WOULD BECOME A VERY LARGE AND HEAVY PROBLEM. CANSTELLIUM RECYCLES ABOUT 1 BILLION POUNDS WORTH OF ALUMINIUM EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND THIS FACTORY OPERATES ALL DAY LONG, 24/7, SINCE THE FURNACES CAN NEVER BE ALLOWED TO GO COLD. ONCE THE TRUCKS ARRIVE AT THE CASTING MACHINE, THE EASIEST WAY TO GET THE ALUMINIUM OUT OF THE CRUCIBLE IS WITH A GIANT STRAW. THE STRAW SUCKS UP THE ALUMINIUM LIKE A FORBIDDEN SLURPY CUP. YOU CAN SEE HOW FAST IT DRAINS THE MOLTEN ALUMINIUM IN REAL TIME. EVEN THOUGH ALUMINIUM CAN BE INFINITELY RECYCLED, IT'S ESTIMATED HERE IN THE U.S.A. THAT ABOUT 60 BILLION CANS ARE THROWN INTO LANDFILLS EVERY YEAR WHERE THEY CAN'T BE RECYCLED. THE UNITED STATES HAS AN ALUMINIUM CAN RECYCLING RATE OF ABOUT ONLY 43%, WHICH IS PRETTY BAD COMPARED TO CANADA'S 71% ALUMINIUM RECYCLING RATE.