Cycles of our Lives

14 Jan

The cycle of life happens all around us, every day. Caterpillars become butterflies, seeds become trees, and sometimes your sister’s clothes become yours.

Have you ever thought about the cycle of life your recycling has?

Snapshot of Charlie on her rounds through Camden.

While looking for the best way to responsibly get rid of a collection of old items, I went down a bit of a recycling rabbit hole — and learned something surprisingly interesting.

Once a can is recycled, it begins a new journey. It’s sorted using magnets, eddy currents, and optical scanners that separate aluminium from other materials. The cans are then shredded, cleaned of paints and coatings, and melted down into liquid aluminium.

From there, the metal is refined and rolled into sheets, ready to begin its next life as something new. And here’s the really impressive part: aluminium can be recycled over and over again without losing quality.

Lucky for me, I also discovered a great way to responsibly recycle unwanted items while I was down that rabbit hole. Camden Council is hosting a free recycling drop-off event this Saturday, 17 January. I’ve added the link below so you can check what’s accepted and all the details before you go.

I’ve also included a few more links to interesting recycling learnings below for all my fellow curious minds. Maybe we could learn something new every day this week.

Whatever you do, stay curious — and have a lovely week.

Take care :)