Aluminium is no ordinary material — in fact, it's virtually immortal.
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We love to recycle.
It makes us feel like we've done something good, especially when we're not thinking about the soot trail left by the recycling truck.
We still have a thing or two to learn from the Europeans, who invest considerable attention in sustainability and the environment while we're busy just trying to survive — but we're certainly making an effort.
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Of all the materials we recycle, aluminium is the most fascinating.
Unlike plastic, for example, which degrades significantly each time it's melted down and re-solidified, aluminium can be recycled almost one hundred percent.
Just how remarkable is that?
Roughly 75% of all the aluminium ever produced is still in use today.
Recycling aluminium requires 95% less energy than producing new aluminium, and prevents up to 97% of the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the primary production process.
Aluminium recycling efforts save 90 million barrels of oil and 14,000 kilowatts of electricity every year.
When you think about it, that's an impressive achievement for us as human beings — it turns out we're not only good at causing pollution, but at preventing it too.
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And one more interesting fact about aluminium:
In the 19th century, aluminium was worth more than gold, due to the difficulty of producing it.
During Napoleon's era it was so highly prized that his most distinguished guests were honoured with aluminium plates at the dinner table.
So the next time you finish a can and feel like crushing it, first consider that it was here long before you — and will very likely remain long after you're gone.
A little respect.