Aluminum: where is it thrown away? – GreenStyle

Separate collection of aluminum is a virtuous practice that helps the environment with proper recycling. But the disposal of this material is not the same in the various Italian municipalities, so much so that we ask ourselves where to throw it. We see it in this article, in which we address not only the issue of waste sorting, but also why its recycling is so important.

The good one aluminum It is a material that is part of our lives in many forms: from the container of the drinks we like so much, to the trays for storing and cooking food, to the packaging of some cosmetics. But if we were to go beyond these more well-known areas, this derivative of bauxite is also part of many branches of industry.

If no one at home gives up a roll of aluminum foil, or cans of carbonated drinks, it is because of the performance of this material, which shields and protects food, leaving us at ease. The problem is that we do not always know where to throw it away once its function has been exhausted.

And so, where do you throw aluminum? The answer to this question is not univocal, as each Italian municipality manages this type of waste differently. Which means looking at the provisions on the website of your place of residence, in order to dispose of the exhausted material in the correct way.

Usually, separate waste collection goes mainly in two directions. On the one hand, some cities require aluminum to be thrown in the glass and can bin, on the other hand, there are places that instead require disposal with plastic. Then there is a third solution, implemented by some municipalities, which provides for multiple collection that includes all three materials.

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Where to throw away aluminum: what to know

Aluminum is one of the most common materials in our homes, but it is also used in sectors such as transportation, electronics and construction. But if the process of extracting and processing the raw material is very expensive in terms of energy, for its recycling it only takes 5% of the energy that would be used to produce the primary metal.

Hence the reason why it is recommended to recycle aluminum in the right way, as it is a material that can be recycled infinite times without losing its original properties. Which means saving energy, but also not burdening the environment in terms of extraction of bauxite, the original mineral.

Aluminum: where to throw it away

We have mentioned it and we repeat it, aluminum disposal varies depending on the municipality of residence and it is up to us to inform ourselves about the correct disposal of waste. There are, in fact, three types of collection, to which each city adheres. The first is the multi-light collection, the second the multi-heavy, the third is glass and metals.

The first group includes municipalities that have chosen a mixed disposal of aluminum with plastic packaging, the third includes those that require the disposal of glass and aluminum. The second case is the one that instead requires the disposal of aluminum, glass and plastic, as the separation takes place in the collection center.

Multi-heavy collection relieves citizens of a problem: the division and sorting at home of those multi-material packages that often cause us headaches. A classic example are glass jars of preserves with metal caps and internal plastic coating, but also some cosmetic packages.

But even the caps of glass bottles, which have the aforementioned plastic strip, are a problem for those who cannot dispose of aluminum with plastic. If we can separate the two components, there will be no problem; on the contrary, if our municipality belongs to the aluminum and glass group, the caps will have to be thrown in the waste bin.

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Source: www.greenstyle.it