I’ve been aware of the benefits of aluminum recycling since the catchy song to “recycle, reduce, reuse, and close the loop…” etc., came out in the early 90’s. Aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the U.S., with an average of 80 billion cans used each year. Recycling metal uses 95% less energy than creating the product from virgin material, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also pollution.

Alkemi. Designed by Renewed Materials LLC.

All this is great, but as I delve further into the green products market, good does not always equal the best solution, and the lesser of two evils is certainly not going to put an end to exorbitant waste. An outside the box solution to recycling aluminum waste has come onto the market in the form of a solid surface material, Alkemi. Alkemi is a SCS certified, LEED credits earning, recycled composite material, composed of post-industrial waste (35% by wight, as certified, or 60% by Volume) and polymeric resins for use as surface material. Alkemi is made from fine flake aluminum milling scrap, which commonly burns up as heavy smoke pollutant when exposed to the high heat melting processes of conventional aluminum recycling. Alkemi leaves no hazardous footprint.

Strong, durable and unusual to the eye, Alkemi offers a cutting edge alternative to the typical commercial options such as solid surface, plastic laminate, stone, and glass. With a variety of colors and finishes, Honed, Classic and Textured, Alkemi has life and movement, similar to a great piece of veined marble, only 21st century style.