Aluminium foil
Environmental benefits: Aluminium foil is a thin sheet of metal made from 98 per cent aluminium. It should not be confused with the metallised plastic film often used for crisp packets, which cannot be recycled. Foil recycling is a simple re-melt process and saves up to 95 per cent of the energy used in the primary production.
How to recycle: kitchen foil, foil milk bottle tops, baking and freezing trays and take away containers can all be recycled. Don’t put foil in can banks because aluminium cans and foil have a different composition. To test if the material is foil or silver coloured plastic (eg crisp packets), scrunch it up into a ball and if it retains its shape as a ball it is foil, if it returns to its original shape then it is plastic and cannot be recycled.
Useful links:
- Find a foil recycling bin near you using Alupro’s map. Please note not all locations will have this facility.
- Further general information about foil packaging.
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