While there are emissions generated by the process of melting scrap metal, it comes nowhere near the amount of pollution and environmental damage that mining causes. In fact, the energy required to melt scrap is only a fraction of what is needed to mine virgin material.
How can recycling metals have an impact on the greenhouse effect? Recycling reduces the use of energy in the manufacturing process of various metals. This allows carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases to get trapped in the atmosphere. When more metals are recycled, that reduces the release of greenhouse gases.
Do you know that iron and steel are the world's most recycled materials and among the easiest materials to reprocess? This is because of their magnetic properties that make them the easiest materials to separate from the solid waste stream.
Do you know how long it takes to recycle aluminum? In as little as 60 days recycled aluminum can be back on the supermarket shelf as a new can. How’s that for a quick turnaround?
Each American produces an average of 5 pounds of trash a day, the highest average in the world. Almost 75% of this trash can be recycled in one way or another. Let’s work together to change these statistics.
While we may not think about wiring too much, did you know that they hold significant scrap value for the copper that they contain? As such, it would be advisable to collect and recycle old electrical wiring along with any old metal that you're disposing of.
Did you know that each aluminum can that is recycled saves the energy equivalent of running a TV for a full three hours? With millions of aluminum cans recycled each year, that amounts to a whole lot of saved energy.
The most commonly recycled item is steel. At more than 80 million tons a year, it is almost double the amount of paper recycled, and is 30 times the amount of plastic that is recycled annually.
Do you know that the amount of aluminum thrown away annually in the United States would be enough to rebuild the commercial air fleet 4 times per year?
Stockpiling the scrap aluminum, iron and steel your business generates is a good way to help the environment and earn. Instead of tossing these materials out, you can sell them at your nearest recycling facility.
Did you know that every pound of steel that’s recycled saves enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for as many as 24 hours? It’s estimated that enough iron and steel is discarded in the U.S. (rather than recycled) to continually supply the nation’s automakers.
Have you heard the horror stories about municipal recycling programs that dump all those recyclable materials straight into the landfills? When you work with us, you can rest assured that your scrap metal is truly being recycled.
Recycled metal is cooled and compressed into metal bars, which make them easy to sort and transport. Recycled metal can then be used just like regular metal.
When aluminum comes to the recycling plant, it is first shredded and then melted down. The molten aluminum is then gradually hardened into ingot form and then made into aluminum sheets or other desired forms.
Until recently, platinum was found exclusively in the jewelry industry. Now it is widely used as a catalyst in the chemical, refining, petroleum and automobile industries, or as a corrosion resistant material in the chemical, electrical, glass, and dental/medical industries.
Most of our society’s decisions are based on convenience. Just 20 or 30 years ago, for instance, people had their milk and dairy delivered. Milk came in glass bottles that were washed and reused over and over. Now, the plastic milk containers we buy at big box supermarkets are often tossed in the trash, taking up space in landfills.
Did you know that over 50% of the trash in an average household garbage can is recyclable? If you haven’t all ready done so, start a recycling program in your own home to save energy and reduce local landfill waste.
If you anticipate scrap metal will be generated from your construction project, talk with us about placing containers onsite for collecting the waste material. This makes it easier to bring what you have to us.
Recycling in the United States began to wane after World War II, but during increasing energy costs in the 1970s, recycling once again became a popular necessity. Since that time, advances in recycling have continued to progress.
Recycling matters. Americans deposit more than 120,000 aluminum cans into the recycling stream every minute of the day. As a result, nearly two out of three cans are reprocessed, and nearly 66 percent of all American aluminum is produced from recycled metal.
Why recycle? As a Forbes.com article points out, the world is not on the verge of running out of mineral resources, but metal recycling makes sense because it’s cheaper than finding, mining, and processing new ores.
Global warming, without a doubt, has touched all of our lives. As such, many people are now becoming more aware of the environment and are trying to limit the damage to it by having their metal waste products recycled.
Obsolete or "old scrap" is something that is unwanted and can no longer be used in its original form. This type of scrap can still be useful and the metal that is within these objects can be used. For example, silver can be taken from old film and copper can be taken from radiators.
Aluminum has been commercially produced for about 100 years, yet has risen to second behind iron in production and consumption. The main sources of obsolete aluminum are cans, aircraft, automobiles, trucks, appliances, and furniture.
