Recycling has become increasingly important to society and industry to meet the goals of cost reduction, efficient management of limited resources, and reduced landfill utilization. We are accustomed to hearing the three R’s of recycling (reduce, reuse, recycle) to include paper, plastics, bottles, cans, and cardboard; however, many people do not know that you can recycle metal as well. Recycling metal reduces pollution, saves resources, reduces waste going to landfills and prevents the destruction of habitats from mining new ore.
“Scrap-recycling facilities are like mines above ground, rich with resources that can be reused to preserve the environment, at a fraction of the cost to mine and refine metals from virgin ores. Scrap metal is not waste or trash. Rather, it is a continuous resource – made from old automobiles, appliances, buildings, bridges, airplanes and more. Scrap metal may, in fact, be one of our most precious resources. Because it can be re-melted and reshaped into new products countless times, scrap metal is a resource that will never be depleted.”
Environmental Benefits
Metal recycling conserves natural resources by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using less energy than making metal from virgin ore. The production of new metal releases a far greater amount of greenhouse gas emissions compared with making products from recycled metal. These emissions may influence climate change and may also cause harmful levels of air pollution in cities, resulting in potential respiratory health problems for you and other residents. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) reports that recycling metal may cut greenhouse gas emissions by 300 million to 500 million tons.
In addition, using scrap metal in lieu of virgin ore generates 97% less mining waste and uses 40% less water, according to the National Institute of Health.
Energy Conservation
The amount of energy saved using various recycled metals compared to virgin ore is up to:
- 92 % for aluminum
- 90 % for copper
- 56 % for steel
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if you recycle a single aluminum beverage can, you help conserve enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for more than four hours.
Economic Benefits
Recycling metal creates 36 times more jobs than sending the same amount of metal waste to the incinerator, and six times more than sending the metal to a landfill, according to the National Institute of Health. The National Recycling Coalition says the recycling industry in general generates $236 billion annually and employs more than a million workers across America.
Metal recycling is contributing to the solution of global warning and not the problem. Above is a video that highlights the importance of environmental sustainability. Calgary Metal Recycling is proud that it is part of the solution. Be kind to the environment and recycle your metal.