Benefits of Scrap Metal Pickup and Recycling

thescrapper Metal Recycling Information

Benefits of Scrap Metal Pickup and Recycling

scrap metal pickup

With global warming and climate change resulting in dangerous effects, recycling has become highly important not only to society but to industries too. Recycling is now imperative in order for industries to meet the goals of reduced landfill utilization, cost reduction, and management of the limited resources available.

Whenever we hear the three R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle), our mind always thinks of cardboard, cans, plastics, and bottles. However, many people are unaware that metal can be recycled too!

While this might come as a surprise, recycling metal has numerous benefits. Scrap metal pickup and recycling metal helps to prevent the destruction or excavation of habitats to mine new ores, reduces pollution and the waste that is dumped into landfills, and helps save resources too!

Let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail.

Benefits to the environment

Recycling metal can help to conserve the natural resources as it helps to reduce the greenhouse gas emitted when new ore is mined. Similarly, recycling metal requires less amount of energy than making metal from a new, virgin ore. When new metal is produced, the amount of greenhouse gas is far greater than the amount of gases emitted when products are manufactured using recycled metal.

These emitted greenhouse gases not only cause climate change, but they also increase the level of air pollution to risky areas in many cities, leading to potential respiratory health problems for all people in the city.

Numerous studies support the benefits of recycling too. For instance, according to a report from the ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries), recycling metal might just lower the greenhouse gas emission by 300 million tons to up to 500 million tons. Similarly, National Institute of Health states that using scrap metal instead of metal from virgin ores uses 40% less water and produces 97% less mining waste.

Conservation of energy

When compared to a virgin ore, the amount of energy saved when using different recycled metals is up to:

  • 56% for steel
  • 90% for copper
  • 92% for aluminum

The US Environmental Protection Agency has said that recycling just one beverage can, made of aluminum, can help conserve energy sufficient enough to power a 60-watt bulb for over four hours!

Benefits to the economy

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has made it clear how recycling metals in beneficial for the economy. Recycling metal creates 36 times more job openings than compared to the jobs created when the same amount of metal waste is sent to the incinerator. Similarly, recycling metal creates six times more jobs than just shipping off the metal to be dumped in a landfill.

The National Recycling Coalition states that, overall, the recycling industry generates around $236 billion every year and gives jobs to more than a million people all across America.

Conclusion

Many people believe that recycling metal only contributes to global warming. The truth is, recycling metal is not the problem, but a solution for decreasing global climate change. Recycling metal contributes to environmental sustainability and is beneficial for the economy too! Have Scrap Metal Pickup? Schedule a Scrap Metal  Pick-Up in Hamilton.