The image shows the process to recycle the aluminum in cans. Overall, the process consists of six steps starting with collection and finishing with reusing.
Firstly, the aluminum cans are collected in different communities thanks to recycling campaigns where several bins are placed to deposit the cans. Secondly, the cans are carried to specialized plants where are cleaned and sorted; then a specific machinery shreds and compresses them to obtain blocks of aluminum. Next, the blocks are heated in special ovens to soften their consistency. Afterwards, a different machine rolls the material and transforms it into thin sheets of 2.5mm to 6mm thick. Now, the aluminum is ready to be recycled; normally, the sheets are carried to different factories where they are used to produce new cans. Finally, the cycle ends when people buy the new cans and reuse them.
The process of recycling aluminum is complex, but it contributes to decrease the waste; a figure of 74% of aluminum recycled is estimated in UK.
