Benefits of Scrap Metal Recycling

With the ban on single-use plastic bags across Australia, huge beach clean-up operations and the trend toward environmentally friendly non-toxic household cleaning materials, recycling, in general, seems to have taken a strong foothold.

Recycling will help to reduce the amount of waste you produce and conserve finite natural resources. Doesn’t that sound like a good initiative for the future of this planet? Now, what about scrap metal recycling?

Scrap metal recycling is becoming an increasingly important part of the global manufacturing process with each passing year. There has been a huge shift in the movement toward waste management and recycling to ensure we leave a planet worthy for our children and grandchildren.

How Metal Recycling Benefits Us

While we are au-fait with recycling paper, plastics, containers, cans, and cardboard, recycling and reusing metal is as important. Reusing steel reduces contamination, conserves sources, reduces landfill waste, and avoids the destruction of natural habitats through ore mining.

We have seen huge gains from precious metal mining but scrap-recycling facilities are actually mines in themselves. They provide rich metal resources that can be reused again and again at a fraction of the price of mining.

Scrap metal recycling is a continual source of precious metal. Old cars, home appliances, structures, bridges, and aircraft, all use scrap metal that has been remelted and reshaped to create brand new products.

There are many benefits of scrap metal recycling. It does not only bring environmental benefits, but it also brings economical benefits.

1. Conserve Energy Consumption

After extracting ore metals, lots of energy is required for the raw materials to be smelted and transformed into something usable.

Scrap metals require much less energy to melt down and reshape. Producing new products by using recycled scrap metal can save up to 75% of the energy that would be used when producing from raw materials.

Additionally, according to the National Institute of Wellness, scrap metal recycling produces 97% less waste from virgin ore mining and also utilises 40% less water.

Also, recycled metal product production only uses 60% of the water that is needed for producing metal products using raw materials. How great is that!

2. Economic Conveniences

Reusing scrap metal creates 36 times more work than sending out the very same amount of metal waste to the incinerator. It also creates 6 times more jobs than sending out the steel to a landfill.

Does your manufacturing company produce a large amount of scrap metal? If so, what do you usually do with it? If you opt for a simple yet slightly problematic decision, you may just throw it away and send everything to the landfill.

But did you know there is a more responsible way of processing the scrap metal? It is just as easy and can even have some added bonuses. Scrap metal recycling is an advisable option you can try for a positive impact on the environment. You can also help with your company’s sustainability initiative.

Recycling is a much better solution for manufacturing businesses. It makes the cost of producing new materials cheaper.

3. Reduces Landfill Waste

Dumping scrap metal into a landfill is far from the best way to get rid of it. This just causes landfills to reach capacity unnecessarily. 

Any reduction in the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfills is a good thing. This causes landfills to be smaller, take longer to fill up and reduce the resources that are required to manage them.

4. Prevents Toxic Chemicals

When metal products are thrown and piled in landfill they are likely harming the plants and animals by polluting the soil and water due to metal poisoning and altering the pH level.

Electronic waste also contains substances like lead, mercury and cadmium. These toxins can end up leaching into the soil if they are disposed of incorrectly. Recycling can avert this significant pollution risk.

Saving the environment from toxic chemicals is one of the main benefits of scrap metal recycling.

5. Provides an Alternative to Mining

Raw materials are finite. Mining them is the only way to create new metal products. Ore mining in particular can have negative effects on the environment, it destroys land and living habitats.

Through recycling, we can reduce our reliance on such destructive practices. We can reduce the impact of mining and manufacturing raw materials on the environment.

6. Reduces Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The result of recycling metal is far less dangerous exhaust fumes which in turn reduces air contamination in cities and reduces potential respiratory system health issues due to this lack of poor air quality.

Scrap metal recycling conserves natural deposits by minimising greenhouse gas emissions and uses less energy than making steel from virgin ore. Producing metal from recycled materials will cause less air pollution, up to 90% less when compared to production using raw materials.

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) reports that recycling metal can cut greenhouse gas emissions by 300 million to 500 million tonnes. These emissions are currently a source of air pollution as well as the leading cause of climate change so any way to reduce them is a good thing.

7. Boost Your Company Reputation for Being Ethical

People these days are very conscious and critical of what they are consuming. They are often reluctant to spend money on something that is not in line with their principle. There have been many occasions where consumers have raised concerns about the company’s image. Specifically, whether they are being ethical and responsible in running their business.

Recycling scrap metal can be a good starting point for your company to prove that you care about what your customer wants and what the earth needs. This can be even more beneficial if your company can raise more awareness among the people by promoting household scrap metal recycling and its positive effect on the planet.

8. Add Cash to Your Wallet

Many scrap metal recycling companies in Australia, as well as Dream Lucky, are accepting scrap metal and in return, they give you cash for it.

It’s better for your wallet to send scraps to these companies for recycling rather than throwing those away or just letting them deteriorate in your garage.

There are a lot of types of scrap metal and the amount you receive may vary depending on the market value. For an easier way to estimate how much you could be earning, you can contact the scrap metal recycling company nearby to evaluate your scraps.

Start With Yourself

Now that you’ve discovered the benefits of scrap metal recycling, you can start from the little thing yourself.

• You can start separating the metals from other materials by putting them in the scrap metal hook bins.
• You can turn your old junk car into cash.

Oh, and if you need help with scrap metal recycling, don’t shy away to give us a call! Happy recycling!