Scrap metal recycling is one of the environmentally and economically viable ways to use and get new metal material. Metal is a versatile material that can withstand constant recycling without sacrificing material quality. Additionally, recycling scrap metal takes less energy than standard metal production.
There are plenty of ways to make the most out of metal recycling. There are two types of recyclable metals, and each has its uses.
Types of Recyclable Metals
1. Ferrous Metals
Derived from the Latin word “Ferrum,” it means iron in English. The term “ferrous” means containing or consisting of iron. Popular ferrous metals are cast iron, scrap iron, carbon steel, and stainless steel. Ferrous metals come in the form of alloys. An alloy refers to a material that comes from a combination of two or more metals.
Ferrous metal is the material of choice for industrial fabrications and architectural structures. That is why you can find these metals in cars, bridges, ships, railroads, or skyscrapers’ foundations. Because ferrous metals are the most used, they cover the world’s largest amount of scrap metal.
2. Non-Ferrous Metals
As the name implies, non-ferrous metals do not contain iron or steel. Non-ferrous metals’ main characteristic is that they are strong, lightweight, durable, and non-magnetic. The most common non-ferrous metals are copper, lead, tin, nickel, aluminum, brass, zinc, and precious metals.
Non-ferrous metals are the material of choice for the airline industry because they are durable and lightweight. These metals are also significant for residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Examples include fabricating pipes, appliances, batteries, wiring, cutlery, computer hardware, and jewelry.
Ferrous metals ranging from iron to stainless steel and non-ferrous metals from copper to aluminum are recyclable. It is possible to salvage precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from the computer hardware. That is why scrap yards in Toronto make good business from collecting scrap metal.
Along with saving on excess energy consumption, recycling scrap metal also saves companies money on reproducing metal materials. Here are other reasons why recycling scrap metal should be standard practice worldwide.
Preservation of Natural Resources
As cliché as it sounds, every bit of resource counts, especially a precious and versatile resource like metal. Recycling scrap metal replaces the demand to produce new metal. Doing that preserves critical natural resources like coal and iron ore that manufacturers exhaust during new metal production.
Coal is a top contributor to climate change, accounting for 43 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. That makes eliminating coal use a matter of economic and environmental importance.
Maximizing Raw Materials
As stated, metal is one of the few materials you can recycle without ruining its quality. That means you no longer need to produce new metal unless you run out of scrap metal to recycle. Apart from that, you are wasting money and precious resources to make new metal.
Recycling scrap metal may sound complicated when you do not have the right equipment. Luckily, there are plenty of scrap yards and companies dedicated to recycling scrap metal. You need only to go online to find them to make a difference.