Aluminum is everywhere—from car parts and aerospace components to electronics and medicines. There are even companies, like Metalico Rochester in Rochester, NY, that are dedicated to processing and recycling the enormous quantities of aluminum that accumulates over time. But despite widespread use and being the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust at 8%, modern aluminum had relatively humble beginnings.

According to the inimitable Bill Bryson, aluminum was discovered in 1807 by an English chemist and prolific element discoverer named Humphry Davy, but pure aluminum nodules were not isolated until 1825 by the Danish physicist H.C Oersted. At that time it was so difficult to produce that it was considered one of the rarest, most expensive substances on Earth.

It was not until 1886 that Oberlin student Charles Hall and French engineer Paul Héroult independently developed the specific form of electrolysis that we use to produce pure aluminum today. That development made it easier to produce the material in large quantities, which caused aluminum prices to fall—paving the way for its expanding roles in the following decades.

During the early part of the twentieth century, industrialists developed an appreciation for the strength, lightness, and conductivity of aluminum and began using it widely in commercial and industrial applications such as wiring and engine manufacturing. In fact, the Wright Brother’s 1903 bi-plane had an engine containing aluminum.

As early as 1909, aluminum alloys that were cheaper to produce and offered greater strength hit the market and aluminum began to show up in aerospace, transportation, communication, and electronics in unprecedented quantities. Since then, aluminum has become an indispensable part of the world’s industrial and commercial economies.

Unfortunately, large amounts of aluminum are wasted when we discard the products containing it. Throwing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as filling the can half full with gasoline and pouring it out, but recycling that can saves 95% of its energy! Thankfully, environmentally-minded companies like Metalico Rochester—an EPA Green Power Partner—will pay you to recycle your old aluminum. You can find aluminum in:

• Cans and Foil Trays

• Wiring

• Used Car Parts

• Lawn Chairs

• Storm doors

If you have scrap metal that you would like to sell for recycling, call Metalico Rochester at (585) 436-0713 or visit them online or on Facebook.