The flowchart illustrates how aluminum is recycled. Overall, it is clear that there are 6 main steps in the process, starting with collecting aluminum cans and ending up with end products for public use.
Regarding the first three steps, in the beginning, aluminum cans are collected from recycling trash bins. Afterward, gathered items are cleaned and sorted to determine which types can be reprocessed. This is followed by the shredding of recyclable cans into small pieces which are compressed into blocks. In the next stage, the blocks are heated in an industrial furnace at high temperatures to prepare for the next step.
Concerning the rest of the procedure, after being heated, the metal is processed by a plate roller to produce metal sheets whose thickness ranges from 2.5 mm to 6 mm. Subsequently, these panels are transported to a recycling site for the production of finished products. Next, the whole process culminates in the products being sold in the market. Notably, the proportion of reprocessed aluminum items in the UK is significantly high, at 74%.
