Save the Fish
Aluminium can: how long does it take to break down in the sea?
Estimated time to break down in the sea: > 200 years. Source: US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (bsee.gov).
Aluminium can: why is it harmful to the sea?
Metal and its plastic lining persist; torn edges cut.
Aluminium can: does it really disappear?
Only very slowly. Aluminium corrodes rather than rots, and torn sharp edges and the plastic lining stay behind for a long time.
Aluminium can: how harmful is it compared with other trash?
Harm score 6 out of 10: lasts 4/4, toxic 1/3, wildlife 1/3. It ranks 18 of 31 on our list. This score is our own simple scale for comparing items in the game. It is not an official index.
Aluminium can: what is it made of?
Material: Aluminium. A typical one is about 12 cm long and weighs about 13 g.
Aluminium can: what can I do?
Cans and foil can be recycled again and again: rinse them and use the recycling bin.
Aluminium can: what lasts longer, and what breaks down sooner?
Lasts longer: Cotton swab, Plastic cutlery, Plastic straw. Breaks down sooner: Plastic bag, Foam buoy, Rubber boot sole.
Aluminium can: where does this figure come from?
From “Marine Debris Timeline of Biodegradation”, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (Northwest District), information sourced from the US Environmental Protection Agency Gulf of Mexico Program. Checked on 2026-10-03.
The source's limits (in English): Approximate times printed on an educational poster. Real breakdown depends on sunlight, temperature, oxygen and microbes; plastics fragment into microplastics rather than disappear.