May 2019 — A massive cube of crushed aluminum cans stands ready for processing at K&K Metal Recycling in Minneapolis. The dense block, held together by steel wires, contains thousands of cans—each once part of the city’s daily consumption cycle. Aluminum is among the most efficiently recycled materials, requiring only a fraction of the energy needed to produce new metal. Facilities like K&K play a vital role in returning this material to circulation, turning everyday waste into reusable industrial feedstock.