Recycling is not a controversial topic. Every day, millions of Malaysians throw their household items into recycling bins and businesses across the country.
Recognizing the benefits of recycling is easy and popular, and how to use old items to create new items rather than piling up all of them in landfills is widely shared with the public.
What we need is to increase the amount we recycle to include important items like scrap metal. What many Americans don’t fully understand is that many home and office supplies are made of metal and can be successfully recycled to create new products.
Getting rid of waste from landfills is equally important because of the environmental benefits we receive. The good news is that scrap metal is easy to recycle. If you’re wondering how to recycle scrap metal, we can answer that question.
Why Should You Recycle Scrap Metal?
One of the main reasons for wanting to recycle unwanted scrap is its environmental benefits. There are several good reasons why many people are working to advance metal recycling.
Metal recycling helps reduce pollution by removing scrap from landfills. Scrap contains toxins, including mercury and lead, which can be released and contaminate the soil and water around landfills, posing health risks to humans and wildlife.
Equally important is the fact that recycling allows metals to be reused, so obtaining new metals does not put additional pressure on the environment and natural resources. The only way to get metal without processing is to mine primary metal ore. Most metal ores are found in untouched landscapes. Metal recycling helps us avoid mining and destroying these landscapes.
The truth is that whenever we recycle, we greatly reduce our burden on natural resources. Recycling 1 ton of steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.
Types of metals can be recycled
Every metal we recycle can be given new life in a variety of ways, from large projects like aircraft, railroads and ships to smaller items like jewelry. Large or small, the demand for recycled metals today is high. Because it is much cheaper than using new metal.
Scrap metal is often recycled to make home furniture or components such as fixtures and lighting, and metal roofing materials are often made from recycled metal. Metals that have reached the end of their functional life, such as those in the house, can easily be used to make new ones as well.
And recycling scrap metal is good for the economy. The fast growing scrap metal recycling industry has created tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs and brought additional tax revenue to the states.
Recycling scrap metal is easier than you think. And that starts with how easy it is to find scrap metals around the house. Look around your house, and you can find plenty of metal items that you might want to replace, including:
- Silverware/cutlery
- Aluminum and steel cans
- Pots and pans
- The base of lamps
- Metal chairs
- Bathroom fixtures
- Plumbing pipes
- Electrical appliances
- Swing sets
- Railings