Scrap metal recycling is a great way to remove bulky and industrial "junk" from landfills and utilizing them in a new way. This form of recycling helps items such as copper fittings used in plumbing jobs or old, non-functional cars from rotting away and polluting the earth to becoming new or reusable materials.
Unlike paper and plastic, which have a limit as to how many times they can be recycled, many different types of metals can be recycled continuously without loss of quality. In addition, these metals can be recycled so quickly that they can end up back on store shelves in as few as six to eight weeks after being discarded.
For recycling purposes, ferrous metals refer to any metal or alloy that contains iron. The category encompasses a range of materials, but the most common examples include carbon steel, mild steel, stainless steel, cast iron, and wrought iron.
The recycling of steel materials yields massive energy savings for the United States each year. In fact, it’s estimated that annually, enough energy is saved by recycling steel to supply the city of Los Angeles with almost a decade’s worth of electricity.
In ancient times, products were not nearly as abundant as they are today, so resources were hardly ever wasted. Recycling wasn’t just a way of life, it was necessary. People from more resourceful times would be undoubtedly astounded at the amount of material that goes to waste today!
Do you know how metal recycling helps the environment? Recycling cuts greenhouse emissions, which help stem dangers from global climate change. Much of the energy that is used to process and transport raw material into steel and aluminum involves burning fossil fuels like diesel, gasoline, and coal.