Globally, we produced 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium in 1950 and we produce 20 million tonnes a year now.
	Aluminium is often called "congealed electricity", as its manufacture is so energy intensive. The energy used to make aluminium is more than the total energy consumed by 45 African countries combined.
	Aluminium cans The UK consumes 6.8 billion cans a year, 5 billion more than the next biggest market in Europe - Italy. An average Briton gets through 117 aluminium cans a year, 33 are recycled. An average Swede gets through 108 cans, and recycles 98 of them.
	Approximately two tonnes of alumina are needed to make one tonne of aluminium.
	The largest known economic resources of bauxite occur in Australia and Guinea. In terms of ranking these countries are followed by Brazil, Jamaica, and India. Although the USA, Japan, and the federal Republic of Germany are the world's largest consumers of aluminium, they possess little or no bauxite deposits of their own.
	To make a drinks can, or any other aluminium product, by digging the aluminium ore up from the ground, purifying it, and shaping the product takes up to 20 times more energy than making the same product from old cans and scrap aluminium.
	3 billion aluminium cans are manufactured each year at plants in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Over 60% of these are recovered for recycling, and 18% of aluminium products made in Australia each year are composed of recycled aluminium.
	Did you know that the energy you save from recycling one can will keep your television running for 3 hours. Y Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 5 tonnes of non-renewable aluminium ore.
	Making new cans from used aluminium cans uses 75 percent less energy than making a can from virgin materials. Y It takes 200 million Btu's ( British Thermal units) to produce a tonne of aluminium cans from virgin materials and only 50 million Btu's to produce a tonne of aluminium cans from used cans.