That aluminium drink can you're holding has an incredible story. It could be made from aluminium that was originally part of an aircraft from World War II. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable: it can be recycled over and over without losing its properties. Recycling that can uses only 5% of the energy needed to extract aluminium from bauxite ore. In just 60 days, your can could be back on a shelf as a new product. The aluminium recycling industry saves so much energy that it prevents the emission of 9 tonnes of CO₂ for every tonne of aluminium recycled. Yet globally, we still throw away over $800 million worth of aluminium cans every year. This is why understanding recycling isn't just about waste. It's about energy, economics, and environmental protection.
This introduction covers The Aluminium Can That Never Dies within Recycling for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Recycling in Using Resources for GCSE Chemistry with 23 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 9 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Recycling
Which of the following correctly describes recycling?
Explain three reasons why plastic recycling is more difficult than metal recycling.