About Us Although aluminium foil represents a tiny proportion of the total household waste stream (less than 0.5%), the aluminium industry is keen to have this valuable raw material returned. That aluminium can be economically recycled, and has been since it became commercially available more than a century ago, is a well-established fact. As a used material it retains a positive monetary value, unlike many other packaging materials which can cost money for disposal. The metal remains substantially intact in terms of volume and, for one twentieth of its original extraction cost, can be re-melted to become new metal ready for its next task. Several successful national schemes for the collection and recovery of used beverage cans (for the production of more beverage cans) represent clear evidence that aluminium packaging materials can be recycled with outstanding success. Modern molten metal filtration techniques keep quality high, and the aluminium companies greatly value this rich source of secondary metal which is available at such a comparatively low energy cost. With so much attention on the environmental demands of packaging materials, it is easy to lose sight of the environmental benefits these materials can bring. Take the case of sterilized food preserved without refrigeration for long periods thanks to the high barrier properties of an aluminium foil container or foil laminate pouch. Such a pack enables the transportation and storage of valuable food resources in a minimum of space and with a minimum of additional weight due to packing. Also, thanks to the metal’s very good thermal conductivity, the energy used to heat the food contained in the pack is minimized – a further saving. Another example: Food can be processed in a foil container, shaped by it, carried in it, delivered, displayed, carried home, baked or re-heated in it – all without any need for the contents to be removed from the one container. The resulting savings of energy and materials are considerable. Where economies facilitated by a packaging material such as aluminium are obvious, it makes sense to use such a material, particularly when the potential for recovery and recycling is so strong. All minerals on this planet are finite and they must be conserved and used wisely. But without their exploitation our way of life is in question and in some cases it is very difficult to change the way we use resources. Burning fossil fuels for heating, for example, is likely to be with us until the end of this resource is in sight. Compared with this example, aluminium is in a very fortunate position. One of the most abundant elements present in the earth’s crust, third only to silicon and oxygen, this element is so plentiful that demand is never likely to exceed supply. Used aluminium has always been an important source of ‘new’ metal. According to industry estimates, about two thirds of aluminium in use is eventually recycled because it is so much cheaper to re-melt it in its metallic form than it is to extract the metal from the original ore. Our Product Household Foils Flexible Packaging Foil Semi-rigid container Foil PHARMACEUTICAL FOILS
