What makes this foil eco-friendly?
- Made from 100% recycled aluminium – traditional foil manufacturing requires A LOT of energy. And we mean A LOT! There is actually no reason to mine new aluminium to make foil because we already have lots in use that can be recycled, reformed and reused! By using aluminium from a 100% recycled source creates much less energy waste. In fact, the manufacturing of this foil uses only 5% of the energy required for making regular aluminium foil. That is some big energy savings and therefore a great way to reduce foil’s impact on the environment!
- Can be recycled after use – you know how we just mentioned recycling? Well, guess what? YOU CAN RECYCLE THIS FOIL AGAIN! We aren’t joking. Once you’ve used it, wipe it down and put in in your recycling. If you aren’t sure your council takes metal/foil recycling, have a look here to check where your nearest recycling point is.
- Sustainable packaging – not only is the foil produced sustainably but the packaging is too! The cardboard box is made from 100% recycled unbleached cardboard using non-toxic glues and inks. Once you’ve finished your roll of foil, don’t forget to recycle it again!
Why is it important to recycle aluminium?
- To reduce the volume of aluminium going into landfill – if the aluminium is going into landfill then it means that it literally is going to waste. It is sat in a landfill site, being completely useless and could potentially be harmful to wildlife and their habitats (think about aluminium cans and how sharp they are once they’ve been opened). By recycling it you are ensuring the aluminium is being put to good use again! It’s a bit like having an old pair of jeans in your wardrobe. You might not wear them anymore but someone else might, so you take then to a charity shop or sell them on. It’s the same sort of concept – why throw away a perfectly functioning material like aluminium if it can be repurposed and made into something useful for someone else?
- To conserve aluminium resources – aluminium comes from the earth’s crust in many parts of the world as the mineral bauxite. It is a resource that requires mining and, like many of the earth’s natural resources, we are using them faster than they are being created. There is only a finite amount of aluminium, so we need to ensure that we conserve as much as possible and treat it like the precious resource it is. Recycling helps us do this as we are reusing the aluminium that has already been mined without taking any more from the earth.
- To reduce the amount of energy used producing items from virgin aluminium foil – it takes one litre of fuel to make three rolls of virgin aluminium foil. That same litre of fuel can make 60 (yes 6-0) rolls of If You Care aluminium foil. That is an incredible improvement in energy efficiency. Not only that but recycling 1kg of aluminium can save up to 8kg of bauxite, 4kg in chemical products and 14,000 watts of electricity. It is just a no brainer isn’t it?
>Why should we be buying recycled aluminium products?
We can recycle aluminium all we want, but if we don’t actually buy products made of recycled aluminium (like this foil), then what’s the point? It is the same with recycling plastic – if you recycle plastic, you should also buy products made or packaged with recycled plastic, like our clothes pegs. Doing this is called “closing the loop”.
If we just recycle and then don’t actually buy products made of recycled materials, then materials like recycled aluminium and plastic will just keep piling up until it gets thrown away or burned. Back to square one. So, recycle and buy recycled!
Why is foil so useful?
Aluminium foil has great food protection qualities:
- It preserves the nutritional value and the quality of food.
- >It protects against light, oxygen, humidity and bacteria.
- It also preserves taste, aroma, moisture, vitamins and consistency.
