Aluminum is everywhere—literally. The most abundant, naturally occurring metal in the earth’s crust, aluminum is an essential element of modern life. Aluminum is so critical to modern mobility, increasing sustainability and the national economy that without it, many of the conveniences of today’s world would simply not exist.

Highly recycled and lightweight aluminum packaging can reduce shipping costs and carbon emissions for beverage makers. The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that an aluminum-intensive vehicle can achieve up to a 32 percent reduction in total life cycle energy consumption. From light-weighting to recycling, the aluminum industry is a solution to the world’s energy needs.

Aluminum is truly the metal of modern life.

It’s lightweight—Aluminum weighs less by volume than most other metals. In fact, it is about one-third the weight of iron, steel, copper, or brass. This makes it easier to handle and less expensive to ship.

It’s strong—Aluminum profiles can be made as strong as needed for most applications. Cold-weather applications are particularly well-served by aluminum because, as temperatures fall, aluminum actually becomes stronger.

It’s non-corrosive—Aluminum does not rust. It’s protected by its own naturally occurring oxide film, a protection that can be further enhanced by anodizing or other finishing techniques.

It’s recyclable—Aluminum retains a high scrap value. It can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of its superior characteristics.

It accepts finishes—Aluminum can be finished with a variety of common techniques, including liquid paint, powder coatings, anodizing, or electroplating.