Recyclable, Sustainable, Versatile

• What exactly does it mean to be green? Green products should have a low impact on the environment and therefore favor environmentalism – the practice of protecting and conserving the natural environment and its resources. Aluminum is one of these green materials.

• How is aluminum green? Aluminum is recyclable, sustainable, and versatile – the three key qualities for any material being used to construct a green building. Historically, aluminum has proven to be one of the most important materials in successful recycling programs. Aluminum offers high scrap value, widespread consumer acceptance, and significant industry support.

• How does it save energy? Using recycled building materials saves total energy otherwise used for material production. Recycled aluminum building materials reduce pollution emissions and energy use, taking only five percent of the energy needed to produce raw aluminum from bauxite. Jerry Powell, editor of Resource Recycling, says, “Many construction materials are hard, if not impossible, to recycle, and this is a negative factor when wishing to undertake a sustainable construction project. This is not the case, however, for aluminum as a building product. The sizable energy savings attained when scrap aluminum is re-melted makes the recovered metal very valuable.”

• How abundant is aluminum? It’s one of the most readily available elements in the earth’s crust, making it an ideal choice for sustainable construction projects.

• Does it make economic sense? Aluminum’s reduced cost over a longer life cycle offers builders a viable economic choice. It resists the ravages of time, temperature, corrosion, humidity, and warping – adding to its long life cycle.