This was a presentation done as part of Eco Week. We collaborated with the Environment Society to present: "Don't Waste Aluminium Foil".

Why is aluminium popular?

Almost no metal can rival aluminium when it comes to its vast variety of uses. Owing to its low density and light-reflecting properties. It is no longer a surprise that aluminium foil has become the most widely-used material in food packaging, electronic devices and even insulators. Aluminium foil is relatively cheap as it is often mass-produced, but this does not make it a cheap material!

How Is Aluminium Extracted?

Aluminium ore (bauxite) is not expensive in nature. However, to be usable, aluminium ore must be purified. This involves a two-tier process - bauxite is first processed to form aluminium oxide. After being dissolved, it will be further hydrolysed to pure aluminium. A constant high temperature and a large hydrolytic setup are required, which can make the manufacturing of aluminium foil costly. This should be a reason for us to recycle it the next time we want to throw the aluminium foil away.

Environmental issues

Aluminium is incredibly useful, but less so for the planet’s wellbeing - aluminium foil is not entirely biodegradable and could take hundreds of years to decompose naturally. However, aluminium has an astonishing recyclability of up to 95%! Simply recycling it can save 95% of the energy required to engineer a new aluminium foil from raw materials. To put that into numbers, 11 tonnes of aluminium recycled equals the preservation of 6 tonnes of bauxite, alongside 9 tonnes of CO2 for future usage. [1 tonne = 1000 kg]

Health concerns

Aluminium, which is not naturally found in our bodies, will not do much harm in small doses. However, particles in aluminium foil will leech onto your food and when consumed in excess, this will lead to many health complications. According to scientists, increased levels of aluminium may cause cognitive complications, including Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease. Additionally, an overdose of aluminium has been proven to interfere with the calcium absorption of our body, raising the risks of brittle bones and osteoporosis.

Alternatives

A good substitute for aluminium foil would be baking paper which is also known as parchment paper. The many advantages of using it are:

--They are free of unhealthy leaching.

--Food doesn’t stick to the paper.

--Manufacturing cost is comparatively lower.

--Biodegradable thus environmentally friendly.

During our discussion, an audience member asked "why aren't people using the alternative materials when they have much more benefits than aluminium foil?" the main reason was that society wasn't aware of this alternative and aluminium is more accessible than others previously mentioned.