Aluminium Cans

Aluminium Cans

Approximately 1 billion are produced in the USA each year. The first can was designed in 1958 by Kaiser Aluminium. This metal proved ideal as it was a lightweight, flexible material that allowed manufacturing of the bottom & sides of the can from a single sheet, leaving the top to be added after the can was filled.

The first cans were opened with a separate opener but this was inconvenient so Ermal Fraze designed a small lever attached to the can which was removed as the can was opened.

The design was workable but after a while it created an ethical dilemma:

First of all it was a human problem because discarded drink tabs were a health hazard, despite what has been going around over half a century; the recycling of used aluminium cans has been the driving force in the growth of the aluminium sector world-wide.

So in 1976 Daniel F. Cudzik invented a simple, stay-attached opener of the sort familiar today.

As improvements were made in the design & production of aluminium cans, various ethical problems arose concerning:

a. Human Safety

   The health issues associated with canned food are the use of the preservatives and the substances used to seal the lids of the cans. Bisphenol-A is an epoxy material used to seal the can internally. Many tests were administered on such substances which showed some toxicity. The canning factories apply these substances as inner lining to protect the cans from corrosion and avoid food contamination. The question of whether this action is ethical or not remains of how people perceive the use of canned food and its effects. The same effects might occur from using aluminium in the cans as long as the sealing media is the same. Some people suggested the use of glass gars which are not easy to handle and transport. The use of plastic containers on the other hand cannot be fully recycled and may not be suitable to preserve the food.

       b. Environmental pollution:

           The wrong disposal of tin cans can create organic tin to spread in many areas especially the one neighboring the beach or the sea. The organic tin might pollute the marine life or water by depositing on the algae and fungi which provides the oxygen for the aquatic creatures. The accumulation of organic tin in the soil cannot be decomposed by the microorganism which also affects the food chain stability. Aluminium cans may cause less environmental effects as long as the decomposition occurs after disposal.

       c. Convenience:

            The canned food offers a cheaper alternative for many fresh types of food such as meat, vegetables and fish. Many consumers prefer canned food because it's easy to store, doesn't require cooling, is easy to heat up and cook and doesn't need any cutting or slicing. Therefore, the best advantage of using canned food is how it shortens the preparation time of meals and reduces the amount of leftovers as life is becoming more hectic for many people.

       d. Money:

           The expense of canned food can differ based on the brand, the country of origin, the ingredients and the quality of packaging, precooking, preserving and seasoning. For some types of food, preparing ordinary meals from fresh food can be more economic than the canned one while it needs more time. Most of the time, the canned food is considered less of a burden on the budget than fresh and frozen food. Taking into account, all cans are produced based on one serving which means it might cost higher if we are catering for many guests.