Reclaiming Aluminum from Buildings

The nation’s housing supply provides plenty of opportunities for urban miners. Houses both long unoccupied and damaged beyond repair (through years of neglect, Mother Nature’s wrath or a combination of both) hold a secret: Valuable materials may be hidden within, providing ripe prospect for reuse or simple salvage.

Glass, marble, brick, wood, granite, brass, slate, tile, terra cotta, copper and more are all high valuable, reusable and easy to extract. Even everyday aluminum siding’s value can add up in larger quantities.

Aluminum, in particular, is easily salvageable and recyclable, requiring only 5% of the original energy to recycle — a process that can be done time after time without sacrificing quality. Today’s buildings have been dubbed “urban mines,” with aluminum known as “urban ore.” The material can be reused in so many facets — electronics, countertops, exterior surfaces, packaging and appliances — and with an estimated 400 million tons on and inside the earth’s buildings, the opportunity for repeated low-impact reuse is extraordinary.

Examine your home and see how aluminum plays a role. One day you may be able to reuse and repurpose this aluminum for your next household need.