Question: Why is there so much waste? Could it not just be melted back down to be used again?

Emma Ryan answered on 6 Mar 2017:

Hey, that’s a really really good question and I had to think a lot about it.

There’s a lot of waste because currently that is the cheapest way to make things. Engineering is not just about what can be done, it’s about what we can afford to be done.

In regards to metal recycling – I think this can’t be done for a number of reasons but I may be wrong and I will need to check. It is very expensive and not worth it. Also remelting the metal will cause it to be different (as the atoms might not be in the same place, etc) and you can’t ensure it will be the same material.

Let me get back to you!