| Processing Aluminum Cans for Recycling |
Used beverage containers (UBC's) are typically flattened, then baled or compressed into bales, densified into biscuits, or blown into trailers for loose shipment. It is very important that aluminum cans be free of contaminants before further processing. Contaminants to aluminum cans include iron, lead, foil, other metals, paper, plastic, glass and dirt/mud. Non-container aluminum such as pie pans, and frozen food trays should not be processed with aluminum cans. They are considered a contaminant. UBC scrap not meeting the industry requirements will generally be rejected and reshipped at the customer's expense or may be subject to weight deductions for all free iron and lead, moisture in excess of 1/2 percent, dust and fines in excess of 2 1/2 percent and all other foreign materials in excess of 1 percent.
Can Sorter - Aluminum cans should be run through a can sorter to remove debris and ferrous metals. The cans are fed into a hopper and carried up a conveyor belt. Cans are carried past a magnetic device that efficiently remove any steel cans in the material and sorts them into a separate container from the aluminum cans.
Can Handler Basket - These are steel-framed units with nylon netting to contain the aluminum cans. They can generally be purchased with small wheels so they can be rolled from the can sorter to the scales and then to the can flattener/blower.
Can Flattener/Blower - This is a device that aluminum cans pass through in order to flatten the cans to save space. A blower attachment can also be used in order to blow the flattened cans into a tractor-trailer. They generally weigh several hundred pounds and have a footprint of about 5' X 10'.
Scales - Scales are a necessity if paying out money to individuals bringing cans in for sale. Scales that go up to 1,000 lbs is the recommended minimum.
Densifier or Baler - Aluminum cans that are not blown into a tractor-trailer can be densified or baled using one of several types of equipment. Some densifiers can densify several hundred pounds to several thousand pounds per hour. Aluminum cans can be baled using a vertical or horizontal baler or specially manufactured can densifiers. Vertical balers can do the job, but look at the specifications extremely close. The stroke of the vertical baler must be of sufficient length to ensure proper compaction of the cans, otherwise the bale may fall apart when removed from the baler. A horizontal baler can produce a fine bale of aluminum cans and would be preferable over that of a vertical baler. The specially designed can densifiers produce a 35-45 lbs./cubic foot brick that allows efficient loading of a tractor trailer or railcar.
Trailer - Forty-five or forty-eight foot van type trailer. Trailer should be in clean and in good condition with swing out type doors.
| Preparation and Loading Procedures |
Information about the preparation and loading of UBC's can be found on Alcoa's Website. Information on the Alcoa website includes materials and information for new suppliers, contamination and quality issues, storage issues, and basic specifications on preparation and loading procedures.
Questions - Questions on the collection and processing of aluminum cans may be directed to the Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Program staff at MDEQ.
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