Five Reasons Why It’s Important to Recycle Metals

Recycling is an essential task we must all do to help save the planet, by reducing our carbon footprint, generate less waste, and use fewer natural resources. While there has been a concerted focus on plastic, and the harm it can do to the environment, metal recycling should not be neglected.

Whether it’s remembering to sort and recycle food and drink cans in the household, or developing means to properly recycle batteries to meet the demands of the burgeoning electric vehicle market, we have a look at five reasons why recycling metal is essential.

1. To preserve natural resources

Recycling metal mitigates the need to produce virgin metals, which in turn helps preserve natural resources such as coal and iron ore, needed in the production of metals. This means that recycling metal is an environmental activity and an easy way for companies to take corporate responsibility.

Recycling metals uses less energy than is required to produce new metals. Coal which is required in the manufacture of new metals accounts for 43 per cent of global greenhouse gases.

2. To make the best use of raw materials

Metals are one of the few raw materials that can be recycled without damaging the original properties of the material. This should mean that there is no real reason to create new metals, save for meeting increased demand.

The recycling process can be repeated over and over, even with valuable metals such as aluminium. Scrap metal recycling facilities will always accept a wide range of metals like steel, as operators know that the value of this material will never decrease.

3. To offset your company’s carbon emissions

Companies are working hard to achieve zero-landfill ambitions, meaning it is increasingly important to recycle all raw materials. Metal recycling is an ideal alternative to disposal, as it cuts down emissions and reduces air pollution

A tonne of aluminium recycled saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere. The Planet Mark Environmental Foundation confirms that every tonne of aluminium that is recycled results in conserving five tonnes of bauxite.

4. To save money by reducing production cost

No one should feel ashamed for recycling solely based on the financial incentive. Many companies recycle on the basis that it is cheaper to do so, which will drive down production costs. It is much more efficient and affordable to make use of the waste that you have by helping create an effective waste stream that is is to create natural resources from scratch.

5. To meet recycling industry standards

Growing awareness and concern about the environment has led the recycling industry into applying pressure on businesses to meet higher recycling standards.

Firms are expected to recycle materials where possible, with metal recycling a huge part of this. Needless to say, if you have scrap metal laying around on-site, you should feel obligated to take action. On top of this, the recycling industry benefits the economy by providing employment in waste facilities.

The key to recovering all the values is through robust segregation on-site and good quality control before metal finds its way to a metal recycler.

If you need a belt cleaner for your metal recycling operation, then talk to us today.