Dr. Saleem H. Ali is currently Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue & Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware (USA). His career in academia, industry and as a National Geographic explorer has exposed him to a range of industries, professions and over 160 countries.
Dr. Ali is a Member of the The United Nations International Resource Panel and a nonprofit board member for Adventure Scientists and Mediators Beyond Borders. He has written several books that deal with sustainability themes and his latest book Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability delves deep into the significance of aluminum in our lives and its profound implications for our planet’s health.
The main problem with recycling of any material is if it becomes so diffuse…with aluminum cans, what was very successful earlier on was the deposit schemes…as the incentive for these deposit schemes has waned, [recycling] has declined and you do get people throwing cans in the landfill. Once it’s in the landfill, it’s very difficult to extract the metal.
