We’ve talked a lot lately about industrial uses of aluminum – cars, bridges, construction, etc. But what about those day-to-day products that make a direct impact on your life?

Let’s get the obvious ones out of the way: soda cans. The aluminum industry makes countless soda cans, and thankfully, many of those are recycled. Aluminum foil is also a kitchen stable, and that’s one of the industry’s key drivers. Similarly, aluminum cooking pans – used for catering, baking, or shaping yummy treats like cupcakes – are also commonly known as aluminum consumer products.

But sometimes, it’s not quite as obvious. Take a peek into your garage and you’ll find aluminum products all around. See that metal ladder? There’s a good chance that’s aluminum – its strength and light weight make it ideal to carry around when hard-to-reach places need to be fixed. The frame for that gas grill? Also probably aluminum. And don’t forget that aluminum baseball bat (yes, we know it doesn’t sound as good as a ball hitting a wood bat – tradition still stands).

Aluminum’s also in computers, from the chassis to parts within hardware, along with other sporting goods such as lacrosse sticks, scooters, and bikes. Would the world fall apart without aluminum? Maybe not so, but it’d be a lot less fun – and a lot harder to cook.