When most metals are recycled, there is a leftover ash or waste product that cannot be recycled. For instance, though aluminum can be recycled a thousand times over without loosing its properties, every time it’s melted down again, about 15% is lost to this ash. As unfortunate as that is for the sheer volume of material that can be processed, the recycling process is responsible for creating a waste product that is problematic to dispose of, itself.
Recent innovations have found uses for this ash, by binding up the toxic elements of this ash into stable materials that are similar to ceramics. There are also working models that kill two birds with one stone, using such ash to collect and neutralize the toxic residues left over from hazardous waste incineration. Much the same process is utilized with other metals that are also highly recyclable. Some are already being used as an amendment to concrete as a building material.
