Can we reuse aluminum foil: Scientific explanation
Aluminum foil is very common in food and cosmetic packaging. In food packaging, too, we use aluminum foil for different purposes. Other than that, sometimes we use these foils for cooking meat and fish. Mainly, I have seen aluminum foils are really popular in outdoor cooking. But we all have one common question: Can we reuse those aluminum foils again and again? The question is valid as we should always consider a proper disposal method of those foils. Otherwise, it might harm the environment if the accumulation happens in an eco-sensitive area. The reason behind this is that aluminum foil is non-biodegradable. So we need to find ways to reuse, repurpose or recycle them. But as we know, reusing is always better than recycling most of the time. In this article, we’ll try to understand if we can reuse aluminum foil or not.
We can reuse and repurpose aluminum foils in many ways, from food packaging to using them as light reflectors. However, if we want to reuse aluminum foil for cooking purposes, we have to make sure the foil is not worn out and clean enough to reuse.
Now, as we know, we can reuse aluminum foil; let’s try to understand why we can reuse them. Also, in this article, I’ll help you with how to reuse these foils properly.
Why can aluminum foil be reused several times?
There are various physical properties for which we can reuse aluminum foils multiple times. But there are some obvious exceptions that we will discuss in the next section. Now, let’s see why we can reuse them.
• Structure
Aluminum foil is super thin and has a thickness of 0.016 mm. In some use cases, we can see a slightly thicker form where the thickness is around 0.024 mm. And also, aluminum foil has a low density of about 2700 kg/m3, which makes aluminum foil very lightweight. Because of these properties (of course, density is its elemental property), aluminum is super easy to bend, fold and wrap over any shapes you have. And the coolest thing is that you can do that again and again.
• High Melting Point
The melting point of aluminum is 660.37 °C. Because of its high melting point, you should never worry about aluminum foils deteriorating because of cooking temperature. We can only see its thermal expansion with temperature increase but nothing else. However, at a temperature above 200 °C, aluminum foil loses its structural strength and durability for sure.
• Opacity and reflectivity
By using aluminum foil again and again, you can somehow lose its reflectivity. But still, it is good enough to use as a reflector if you want the light to be spread over a place. And about opacity, aluminum foil is a thin solid material yet has zero opacity which means it doesn’t transmit the light no matter how many times you use it.
These are all good enough reasons to use aluminum foil again and again.
When should we not reuse aluminum foil anymore?
As I mentioned earlier, we can not reuse aluminum foil in all conditions.
- At a high temperature, aluminum can react with acids and release gaseous hydrogen + Aluminum salt. And we know we have some common acids in our kitchen, such as Acetic acid, which we use very often in cooking. So always ensure no acid-aluminum reaction is happening at a cooking temperature.
- If the foil is extremely worn out for whatever reasons, make sure you are not using that for cooking at least. It’s not good for your food to get mixed up with aluminum.
Why should we reuse aluminum foil?
- Non-biodegradable in nature: Aluminum is non-biodegradable in nature. It might take 400 years to deteriorate completely. The most worrying thing is that it can be toxic for eco-sensitive areas if an excessive aluminum accumulation happens. To prevent this, we should always follow a proper disposal method. But reusing is always a top priority whenever as long as it is non-hazard to you.
- Energy-intensive manufacturing process: Bauxite is the primary ore of any aluminum product. After obtaining Bauxite, we refine them to alumina, and then with the smelting process, we turn the alumina into aluminum. After that, we use that aluminum for various use cases. And aluminum foil is one of them. Just from the description, you can imagine how energy intensive the manufacturing process is. It is always advisable to reuse aluminum products to save energy as they are mostly processed through non-renewable energy sources. At the least, recycling is also better than the whole mining and manufacturing process.
This is true that only a couple of people can’t solve the energy crisis by reusing aluminum foils. But education and networking are the keys. If we can send out the correct information and education to all, even a single identity can make a significant change. And you can be that person as well!
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Health impact of reusing aluminum foil in cooking
According to the National Library of Medicine, aluminum foil can increase the aluminum content in your food, but that is in a very tiny amount. So we can safely use aluminum foil for cooking purposes most of the time, and the impact on health is mostly insignificant. But if even a tiny change is toxic to your health, it is better to stop using aluminum foil and discuss it with a doctor about it.
There are no additional guidelines for reusing. So as long as aluminum foils are safe to use in general, you can safely reuse them unless the foils are worn out and deteriorated.
How to reuse aluminum foil for cooking/food packaging
In this section, I’ll share some steps to reuse aluminum foil for cooking and food packaging.
- Check foil condition: First, you need to check the foil condition. If it is not worn out, you can easily reuse it. If the condition is terrible, do not use it for food wrapping or cooking.
- Clean: Next, clean the foil with warm water and soap.
- Take precautions while cooking: Do not expose the foil to any acidic food at a high temperature. Aluminum will react to produce salt.
- Final tips: If possible, reuse aluminum foil in non-reactive use cases. So better, you reuse it for non-acidic food packaging.
How to reuse aluminum foil in other use cases
As covers/wrappers
You can reuse aluminum foil as covers or even as a wrapper. Because of their lightweight yet durable properties, they are suitable for wrapping things to avoid external factors.
Make a cooler pet house
If your pet’s house is in the garden, you can wrap the roof of their tiny house. It will keep the inside part cooler. It happens because of Aluminum foil’s excellent reflectivity property.
Scratching rust
Another way to reuse aluminum foil is to scratch out the rust on iron structures or grills. First, crumple and ball up the aluminum foil, then make it holdable enough to scratch on the grills. You can reuse it for the same purpose again. But remember you have to clean the rust dust where a part of aluminum foil will also be there.
Christmas Decorations
You can use those foils for Christmas tree decorations as well. First, you need to crumble the foil and give it as shape as you want. You can make stars, balls, or any other cool shapes with which you want to decorate the tree.
Reflector
Often in summer, many people use these aluminum foils as a heat reflector to keep the room cool inside. You can set the foil on your window glass if unbearable heat is entering from there. Also, aluminum foils can reflect back the UV rays.
Polishing Jewelry
You can reuse your aluminum foil to polish metallic jewelry. First, wrap it over the jewelry and gently scratch to remove any impurity from the upper surface.
Conclusion
Aluminum foils are reusable in many ways, and I encourage you to do it. Especially when you can reuse them innovatively and not only for food packaging and cooking, you don’t have to worry about their toxicity.
