USE LESS ALUMINUM— RECYCLE MORE

step #41

“You can tell how high a society is by how much of its garbage is recycled.”

DHYANI YWAHOO
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
AUTHOR AND MUSICIAN

Now shifting back to conserving resources extracted from the rainforest, it’s time to think about your aluminum use as aluminum (which comes from bauxite mining) is affecting tropical ecosystems around the world. Can you do with less of it? Are you recycling? Can you buy recycled aluminum?

THE SCOOP

The global use of aluminum exceeds that of any other metal except iron, and it is important in many segments of the world economy, including transportation (bicycles, automobiles, airplanes, trucks, railcars, ships/marine vessels), packaging (cans, foil), construction (windows, doors, siding), appliances and cookware, electrical transmission lines, electronics and other applications. It’s deeply knit into the fabric of modern life. Aluminum comes from bauxite, which is a sedimentary rock with various minerals in it gathered through open-pit mining. The water is taken out of the ore, which leaves a white powder called alumina, or aluminum oxide. This material is transformed into aluminum in an energy-intensive smelting process. Bauxite mining occurs all over the world, and unfortunately for the rainforest, it is occurring more frequently in tropical areas.

Due to the tremendous power needed to extract bauxite for aluminum, large mining companies have been moving operations to Central and South America, Africa, India and other tropical areas around the world where there are both rich bauxite deposits and lower production costs. Hydroelectric dams feed the aluminum plants the energy they need at a fraction of the cost. Today, roughly 12 percent of the world’s aluminum mining takes place in rainforest areas.

Like oil extraction, bauxite mining is a messy process and particularly destructive to the biodiverse, complex ecosystem of the rainforest. When rivers are dammed, wildlife suffers, local populations are displaced, and rainforest areas are flooded, becoming a carbon liability. For every ton of aluminum metal produced, approximately 20 to 30 tons of ore is mined and dumped, creating one of the greatest waste streams in the world, reports Rainforest Relief. The tailing (waste) is extremely toxic, containing mercury and other contaminants. When mercury gets into the environment, it gets into bacteria and becomes methylmercury. Algae eat the bacteria, fish eat the algae, and the methylmercury bioaccumulates up the food chain, eventually affecting human populations.

“Hundreds of large dams have been built to feed the demand for power for aluminum mines and mills,” reports Rainforest Relief in reference to the Amazon. As a result of the increase in dam and mining outfits in the tropics, legal battles have ensued. Most have been lost to the mining industry with a few wins for local populations. In fact, an organization has been formed to protect the rights of the local Amazon populations called the Movement of Dam Affected People (MAB). There are numerous reports of proposed projects for which this group actively advocates compensation for the locals who will be displaced. Too often, the mining companies and governments fall way short. While mining companies do make efforts to minimize pollution and revegetate mined areas, environmental groups argue that it’s impossible to ever restore pristine rainforest that took hundreds of years to grow.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

You can reduce your use of aluminum and recycle all you can. Here are some ways to do just that.

Choose Glass

Most aluminum (approximately 70 percent) is made into cans. Avoid buying beverages from aluminum cans. Choose beverages in glass bottles instead of aluminum cans. It’s a better choice for the rainforests. Or make your own beverages—for example, fresh lemonade and iced tea served from a pitcher are refreshing, healthier than soda and fun to make. Serve them in reusable cups. Choose jarred foods over canned foods.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle

If you must choose aluminum, be sure to recycle it!

The good news about aluminum is that it is very efficient to recycle. In fact, it’s the most recycled material in the United States today. There is no limit to the number of times aluminum can be recycled. It is estimated that simply recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours or the equivalent of a half gallon of gas, reports an online resource. It requires just 5 percent of the energy to make it from aluminum ore, and no rainforests are harmed in the process. A used aluminum can may be recycled and returned to a shelf as a new can in as few as 60 days, reports Recycling Revolution (www.recycling-revolution.com). And if you take into account that more than 80 billion aluminum soda cans are used in the United States every year, recycling that aluminum certainly lessens the burden placed on rainforests from bauxite mining just a little bit.

Beyond Cans

Remember to think beyond your beverage can when it comes to aluminum conservation. Siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, lawn furniture and some bicycle frames are all sources of aluminum that can be recycled. Recycle them all! Recycled aluminum is used to make a host of products including pie pans, house siding, aluminum foil, cans, small appliances, lawn furniture, automobiles, aircraft, bicycles, boats, dishwashers and other aluminum products. Recycled aluminum not only is melted down to be made into a new product of the same kind but also can be used more creatively. Countertops, jewelry, pet tags, floor tiles and even a boat that a man used to sail from Hawaii to Japan have been made with recycled aluminum. The pull tabs from soda cans have been made into handbags, necklaces and even lounge chairs! Go to Earth911.com to find a recycling station in your area or check with your local city hall for further information.

Aluminum Foil

We suggest buying recycled foil. It’s available at health retailers and online by the company If You Care (they also make recycled rubber gloves, covered in Step #44). If You Care Aluminum Foil is made with 100 percent recycled aluminum and comes in eco-friendly packaging. Reynolds Wrap now offers recycled aluminum foil too. You’ll find it in the foils, wraps and bags aisle at grocery and mass market retailers nationwide. Reduce your use of aluminum foil however you can.

RESOURCES

Movement of Dam Affected People (MAB)
www.mabnacional.org.br

A Recycling Revolution
www.recycling-revolution.com

Earth911.com
www.earth911.com

If You Care
www.ifyoucare.com

Reynolds Wrap
www.reynoldsrecycled.com