Aluminium Can Recycling: Importance and Impact

As consumers, we know this scenario all too well: You grab a cold, fizzy drink on a hot summer day, enjoying a thirst-quenching treat. Once you've finished your drink, what do you do next? Do you toss it in the trash, or do you recycle it?

Aluminium cans are one of the most widely used beverage containers because of their convenience and lightweight features. They are also among the most recycled materials, yet millions of cans still end up in landfills each year.

Recycling aluminium cans will significantly contribute to a more sustainable world. However, it starts with understanding the recycling process and making informed choices. In this blog article, we’ll highlight the importance of aluminium can recycling and explain how you can easily do it with City Return and Earn.

People drinking cans at the beach

The Environmental Footprint of Aluminum

Australians use over 3 billion aluminium cans annually and are the world's fifth largest producer of primary aluminium. However, only 56% of these cans are recycled, and many end up in landfills.

The production of aluminium begins with bauxite mining, an industrial process that has severe environmental consequences. Extracting bauxite causes habitat destruction, deforestation, and soil erosion, adversely impacting ecosystems and wildlife.

Additionally, bauxite must be refined to produce aluminium, which is highly energy-intensive and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, making recycled aluminum only takes around 5% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from bauxite.

Despite the high recyclability of aluminium cans, a significant portion still finds its way into landfills. When aluminium cans are not recycled, all the energy and resources used in their production go to waste.

Aluminium cans also take hundreds of years to degrade naturally, further burdening our waste management systems. This is why recycling them isn’t just an option; it should be a necessity for reducing our environmental footprint.

Bauxite rock

Aluminium Can Recycling With City Return and Earn

City Return and Earn offers a seamless process for individuals and businesses to recycle their aluminium cans. Our partnership with the NSW Return and Earn container recycling scheme allows us to keep millions of cans out of landfills and back into production - with your help.

Our team collects empty cans and bottles and offers a refund of 10 cents per eligible container, including aluminium cans. This initiative not only incentivises individuals to participate in recycling efforts, it also promotes a culture of zero waste. To date, this initiative has enabled us to recycle over 37,550,696 aluminum cans since the opening of both depots in NSW; Mascot and Silverwater.

Can in a City Return & Earn's machine

How to Recycle With City Return and Earn

Recycling your aluminium cans with us is easy. Here are some of the ways you can recycle with City Return and Earn:

• Walk-ins & Drive-thrus: Simply drop off your cans and bottles at one of our nearest depots in New South Wales.
• Home Collection: We provide residents in the Sydney metropolitan area with a bin for their recyclable containers. Once the bin is full, our team collects it directly from homes and replaces it with an empty one.
• Commercial Collection: Businesses in the Sydney metropolitan area can also enjoy our bin collection services for their recyclable containers.
• Event Collection: Event organisers can choose to have our team sort their cans and bottles at their event or arrange a pickup service afterwards.

In addition to aluminium cans, businesses and individuals can recycle the following containers and receive a refund for each eligible container.

Eligible containers

What Happens to My Aluminium Cans Once They Are Recycled?

Once City Return and Earn collects the aluminium cans, they undergo a thorough sorting process. Our specialised machinery scans the barcodes on each can to determine its eligibility under the 10-cent refund scheme.

Eligible containers are then directed into a singular system where they are swirled around and transported via conveyor belts. During this process, the cans are sorted automatically—glass is separated into one section, while plastic and cardboard are directed into another. Our system places all ineligible containers in a separate pile.

These aluminium cans are then sent to the NSW Return and Earn scheme for further processing. Our partnership with NSW Return and Earn ensures that all aluminium cans are transported to a processing facility in Sydney, where they are separated from other materials, crushed, and compacted into large, colourful cubes.

These cubes are then sold and shipped to aluminium recyclers overseas, who melt them down and reuse them to manufacture new products, including fresh aluminium cans. The entire recycling process is incredibly efficient, and it can take as little as 4-8 weeks before the recycled aluminium is back on store shelves.

Crushed aluminum cans

Why Your Contribution Matters

Recycling aluminium cans might seem like a small action, but collectively, it has a massive impact. These cans are some of the easiest to reproduce and recycle, which means little effort goes a long way.

By returning cans through programs like City Return and Earn, individuals and businesses can contribute to a circular economy, where materials are reused rather than discarded. This reduces reliance on raw material extraction, conserves natural resources, and minimises carbon emissions.

Additionally, you’re supporting a local company dedicated to helping our local community. City Return and Earn partners with the KARI Foundation, which supports the Aboriginal population through initiatives like the ‘Back to School program’ and driving lessons. We also empower local Indigenous individuals by offering employment opportunities in our depots and through our event management activities.

Each can you return plays a part in building a more sustainable future.

To recycle your aluminium cans with City Return and Earn, visit our website to learn more about our Return and Earn Scheme.