Aluminium VS Plastic: What’s the better choice?

Plastic is widely used in various day to day essentials but how often do we consider the longterm impact of single-use plastic on the environment versus other sustainable alternatives? Today I’m going to talk to you about aluminium and why it is a much more sustainable alternative to plastic. First of all, aluminium is much more durable than plastic, it can withstand longer-term use and makes it perfect to be reused or repurposed (almost forever). In fact, about 75% of aluminium ever made is still in use today. When looking from the environmental impact lens, plastic is much more hazardous than aluminium.

Aluminium is a great metal that is light and malleable but also very strong. Because of these properties, aluminium can be used to make a variety of things, from planes and cars to skyscrapers to food packaging. It is also infinitely recyclable. (Think Cans)

Aluminium is infinitely recyclable (meaning it does not lose it’s quality when recycled unlike plastic) and recycling aluminium saves more than 90% of the energy needed to make new aluminium. Whereas, many plastics in use today cannot be recycled at all as they’re difficult to get rid of since they don’t degrade or decompose. And when they are recycled, they lose their quality and continue to drop in quality until it can no longer be recycled. Therefore, making aluminium is a much more sustainable alternative to plastic.

Finally, plastic is often the cheaper alternative that is more likely to being thrown away after a single-use compared to an empty aluminium or stainless steel container. Think about the different candy, chocolate or other tins that you or someone you know might have saved to re-purpose and re-use. This is why more eco-conscious beauty and food producers are now using aluminium in place of plastic as they have more likelihood of re-use.

Here at The Cleaning Cabinet, we sell a few aluminium/stainless steel cups and bottles as well as storage/travel tins, all available to purchase in-store and online.

Our 500ml aluminium bottles come with an aluminium screw cap top making them the perfect drinks bottle. Aluminium bottles keep liquids cooler for much longer than plastic bottles and, as stated earlier, they put up much better with hard use making them more durable. Furthermore, you could use this bottle to store any other solutions you use around your home whether it be toiletries, cleaning products, haircare, car care or men’s grooming products. The inner lining of this bottle is made of Epoxy/phenol formaldehyde (EPA) resin which prevents leakage and ensures that the inner contents remain fresh.

Our Aluminium Storage/Travel Tins make a great lunch box to take with you to work, school or university or even for a picnic or day out. They are also perfect for taking your toiletries and soap bars on holiday with you or even just as a general means of storage within your home.

Our 350ml stainless-steel cups are a perfect accessory to your home and one with many purposes at that! This cup could be used in your bathroom to hold your toothbrushes or even just as a drinks cup in your kitchen. Alternatively, they are great for use at outdoor events like festivals, picnics, camping or trekking as well as at indoors events, outlets and parties. Just like the aluminium bottles, these cups keep drinks cooler for longer and are extremely durable, however, still lightweight.

Visit Think Cans to find out all the amazing information on aluminium manufacturing and recycling. We encourage you to look out for aluminium packaging when choosing your skin-care products also. We continue to encourage sustainable living in homes and businesses by providing alternatives, so if you have more suggestions, be sure to comment below and we would love to hear from you.

Remember to share and keep doing your best to be a responsible steward of our beautiful planet earth!