. Extracting virgin materials is a key cause of global habitat loss. For example, demand for paper and cardboard is threatening ancient woodlands. Virgin materials need to be refined and processed to create products, requiring vast amounts of energy and the use of polluting chemicals further causing the destruction of habitats. For example, making one tonne of aluminium needs 4 tonnes of chemicals and 8 tonnes of bauxite (the mineral ore), and it takes 95 per cent less energy(1) to make a recycled aluminium can than it does to make one from virgin materials. On top of materials needed, the creation of waste slag and the large areas of land required for industrial smelting cause considerable environmental problems.