There are so many other things that can be done with soda cans besides the obvious use as a container for beverages. Soda cans are about 75% aluminum, wrapping the can in high recyclability and multiple use cycles that do not reduce quality. In fact, recycled aluminum can be back on the shelf as a new can in 60 days according to the Aluminum Association.
Soda can home decor gifts and practical items to reuse soda cans Some crafters cut them into a light with holes, Christmas decorations or some kind of jewelry. A regular soda can is 4.83 inches high and about 2.13 inch in diameter, that makes it pretty much a standard size for many projects. For instance artists have begun using the aluminum to craft complex sculptures while gardeners adopt cans as planters benefitting from their tough but very lightweight composition.
Often companies in commercial contexts investigate new applications of recycled aluminum. NASA focuses on distributing unused products to other government flights and the aerospace industry, for instance, while automotive companies utilize recycled aluminum in vehicle production due to its light weight that can lend fuel-savings benefits. For example, recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy than producing new aluminum from raw materials according to a report by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI).
But you can avoid re-using soda cans to store food or beverages directly. Over time, the inner liner (usually an epoxy resin containing bisphenol A [BPA]) can break down and leach into whatever it is bottles in. Food containers are allowed to have BPA in them, as the FDA believes it is at levels which does not pose a health risk but prolonged exposure through continuous use of these products would amount to higher risks.
Innovative entrepreneurs managed to find creative ways of repurposing soda cans in the many designs they produce. Can-O-Worms ensure for every five items sent to landfill they turn one into a worm farm, made out of aluminium cans. The reuse of cans for creative purposes already shows other potentials in the one-time use packagings.
Kids can work on their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills by using soda cans for a variety of school projects or even at a local workshop. In these programs, students prep few engine or robotic mechanisms and are taught essentials of Mechanics along with Engineering. A simple project is to build a soda can engine, one that the students see operating as fuel is first added and then lit, with boiling steam leaving both ends of the sodacan serving as boiler in this example into which basic thermodynamics are downloaded.
While recycling is still the easiest and most environmentally sound way to dispose of a used soda can. Because aluminum is highly recyclable, it reduces the need for new raw materials thereby conserving natural resources and making a positive impact on the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that recycling one ton of aluminum saves up to 10 cubic yards of landfill space.
For those interested in further commercialisation of reused soda cans, there is tuna food fantastic game plan available at doughnut.