Aluminum Recycling: A Comprehensive Guide to Reuse, Recycle & Reduce

Most recycled aluminum is in the form of cans.

Aluminum is 100 percent recyclable, yet only a fraction of that gets recycled each year. You can recycle 100 percent of the aluminum your family uses, and here's how to do it.

Step 1

Eliminate or significantly reduce your aluminum foil use. Although recyclers accept aluminum foil, some of it is still ending up in landfills. It takes around 400 years for aluminum foil to break down naturally. Instead of using aluminum foil to cover leftovers, place food in bowls with lids. Rewash and reuse all the aluminum foil that you do use until it can't be used anymore, and then take it to be recycled.

Step 2

Recycle all aluminum packaging that comes into your household -- aluminum pie plates and other baking containers, for example.

Step 3

Recycle aluminum cans at work. If your workplace doesn't recycle aluminum cans, maybe someone can at least be responsible for taking the cans home and recycling them.

Step 4

Recycle aluminum siding, gutters, aluminum wire and anything else made of 100 percent aluminum.