Give Your Aluminum Siding a Second Life

On average, it takes roughly 400 years for the metal to decompose naturally, while if recycled, it can be broken down, processed, and ready for reuse in just over a month. Recycling aluminum is neither a quick nor an easy process, mind you, but it can be done, and not only will you help the environment, you just might make a bit of money as well.

Aluminum Siding

Before attempting to work with the used siding, make sure that you have the proper tools and protective gear. Because it is a metal, protective glasses and work gloves should always be worn. Once you're properly attired, use a pair of metal cutting nips to cut each panel into manageable pieces, around 3 feet in length is a good size to work with. Once you have a stack of strips you can easily and safely carry, tie the strips into bundles with metal wire for easier transport.

Once all the siding has been cut and bundled, stack it in as many cardboard boxes as you need to prevent damage to your vehicle, or injury to any passengers accompanying you. Place the boxes in a secure location and locate your local recycling center. Find out if they accept siding, and if they pay for it. Because aluminum is in high demand, particularly with builders, they may offer a small amount of money for bringing in reasonable amounts.

In addition to keeping it out of the landfills, and making a small profit, recycling your home's former exterior also saves energy and natural resources. It takes 57 percent less energy to create new aluminum by recycling than it does to convert raw bauxite ore into aluminum. That's enough to operate a home television for more than three hours.

It also saves resources, as it takes for to five tons of ore to produce just one ton of aluminum. Recycling also prevents millions of tons of pollutants from entering the air, not only from the manufacturing process itself, but also from the tons of siding and other materials that are often incinerated, rather than leaving them in the landfill.

A large percentage of the recycled metal is often reincorporated into the construction of new siding. Other uses for it include manufacturing the bodies of automobiles, making soda cans, cake and pie tins, and even turning some of it into aluminum foil. Other uses for the metal include building materials, machinery and various consumer products.

If the materials are in fairly good shape, they can also be donated to charities to be reused in the construction of low cost homes for residents in this country, or abroad, where quality housing materials are often difficult to obtain and fairly costly.