From the familiar crinkle of one too many chocolates at Christmas to the crack of blister packs when a migraine rears its head. Aluminium foil is the unsung hero of our daily needs and pleasures – and it all started in 1910.
When Robert Victor Neher opened the first aluminium rolling plant in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, his idea had been to offer a replacement for tin foil. The product’s success didn’t disappoint. The following year Tobler adopted aluminium foil for Toblerone. Companies soon realized, however, that its potential went beyond just wrapping globally beloved Swiss chocolate.
By the 1930s aluminium foil was the go-to packaging for butter and cheese, and tear-off rolls of it started to become commonplace in European households. In the 1950s, it sealed its place in the American consumer market with the TV Dinner. The 1980s, meanwhile, saw it broaden its reach with a boom in the use of blister packs.
In today’s world, it remains a product of convenience. Not only does it help preserve our food and even protect it from insects, but it’s also used for building insulation as well as vehicle components for energy absorption, and more. Versatility is very much its selling point – but that’s not the only reason aluminium foil has remained such a staple material.
Around 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use. This is thanks to it being fully recyclable, meaning it can be recycled endlessly without any impact on its quality. Moreover, the recycling process requires 95% less energy in comparison to that of its primary production. It’s a material, therefore, that lends itself to a circular economy – that is if we recycle it.
This is one of the main sustainability challenges faced by the industry. Though recycling trends suggest a continued improvement, currently in Europe only 55% of all aluminium packaging is recycled on average. With that in mind, to truly make the most of this natural resource’s potential, perhaps it’s time for us all to get familiar with what goes into the products we buy.
Aluminium foil has been the protector of our drinks, snacks, and spaces for so long, left in the obscurity of the gaps it lines to ensure freshness and safety. But for it to continue to protect us, we need to shine a light on what it takes to help protect it in the long term.
So, the next time you’re peeling back the foil to a bar of chocolate or a tin of your cat’s favourite food, take a moment to remember what made those products possible in the first place. And when you’re finished, recycle them.