DISCARDED BEVERAGE CANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The corrosion rate of two-piece (aluminium and tinned steel) beverage cans submerged in sea-water and also left to lie in the intertidal zon e was assessed. Cans fully submerged in sea-water corroded slowly, the main body laking more than 15 months to disintegrate, whereas the alu minium tops were dill almost whole. Cans disintegrated more quickly in the intertidal zone and even the tops showed sips of corrosion after four months. Approximately 7.6 million beverage cans are manufactured daily in South Africa. The discarding of even a small proportion of th ese as 'litter' raises concern for their accumulation in the environme nt.