Responsible Recycling of Metal, Mechanicsburg PA
Metal, together with plastic, is the basis of every appliance or machine that we all use every day. The sheer volume of products, from home appliances to automobiles, that are replaced every year and need to be disposed of, makes it imperative that every effort is made to recycle these safely and responsibly. At Junk Removal Mechanicsburg we are aware of our responsibility to the environment to recycle, thus diverting trash from landfills.
The most important characteristic of metal is that it can be recycled many times without any changes to its basic properties. Each type of metal has a value, which encourages the collection and recycling of scrap metal. This has become a profitable business model worldwide, and recycled steel and other metals support industries from shipbuilding, to construction, to the automobile industry and many more.
According to the American Iron and Steel Institute, steel is the most recycled material worldwide. Among the non-ferrous metals, aluminum is extensively recycled, as are copper, lead, zinc, and tin. Metal is extracted from the waste stream using various methods, recycled, reused in manufacture, until it reaches the end of its productive life, and the process begins again. This is a continuous loop as recycling of metal is simpler and greener than using the raw materials which include iron ore.
Some Interesting Facts About Waste Metal Recycling
In the United States, 42% of crude steel is manufactured using recycled metals. Worldwide, this figure is 40%.
Steel and iron remain the most recycled materials globally, and the largest source of this in the US comes from the 11 million or more automobiles that are recycled annually.
Aluminum is the most recycled consumer product, and in the US, 65% of aluminum is recycled. This includes soda cans, TV dinner trays, and aluminum foil. Three quarters of all aluminum ever produced is still in circulation.
Modern recycling technologies can identify and separate different types of metals. Some modern products such as mobile phones contain up to 40 different alloys making recycling difficult. Huge volumes would be needed to make the extraction of valuable components viable. Unfortunately, most obsolete mobiles lie in a drawer at home until they find their way into the landfill.
Metal Recycling Challenges
Although all metals have a value, only about 30% of metals are recycled. There is huge room for improvement. Public and community awareness campaigns are needed to spread this message.
Modern products like mobile phones contain many alloys which presents a problem as they are not easy to disassemble to extract the materials for recycling purposes.
Recycling technology needs to keep up with these complex products. Some of these components are toxic to our environment which makes it important to divert them from landfills.
Which Appliances Contain Metal?
Most appliances we use in the home and at the office contain metals and plastic. Our devices we use everyday contain metals and plastic as well.
Kitchen appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, ovens, and microwaves.
Laptops, TV sets, and mobile phones.
Air conditioners and fans.
Generators, heaters, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers.
Office equipment such as photocopiers, printers, scanners, laptops, and other IT equipment are also made of various types of metal.
Before calling in a scrap metal hauler to get rid of your scrap waste, or commissioning an air conditioner disposal, it is important to find out how these scrap guys will dispose of the old appliances or your e-waste. Although most of these can be recycled, some of their components are toxic to the environment. At Junk Removal Mechanicsburg we care about our environment and recycle as much as we can.
Recycling of Scrap Metal
Recycling of metal is something that has been done since the middle ages. It has always been recognized that to rework metal is more efficient than processing raw materials.
There are two main categories of metal, non-ferrous and ferrous. Ferrous metal contains iron, like steel for example, and reacts to a magnet. Non-ferrous metal includes aluminium, copper, brass, silver, platinum, and gold. Some of these metals are extremely valuable and are rarely thrown away, but others, like aluminium, are regularly recycled.
Below are the processes involved in scrap metal recycling.
Collecting
It all starts with the collecting of scrap metal. We at Junk Removal Mechanicsburg collect and deliver all sorts of scrap metal to recycling centers for further sorting and processing.
Sorting
Metals have different values and are sorted into separate piles before being weighed and baled to be processed. Quality makes a difference as high-quality metal can only be manufactured using good quality scrap.
Processing
To take up as little space as possible, the metal is compressed and squashed.
Shredding
The shredding of metal to break it down into tiny pieces assists with the melting process. This makes the process more energy efficient as small pieces require less energy to melt than large lumps.
Melting
Each type of metal melts at a specific temperature, so the temperatures of furnaces are set to accommodate this. Melting can take a few minutes or even a few hours depending on the volumes of metal, and the types. Although the energy used to melt metal is significant, it is considerably less than the energy required to process metal from raw materials.
Purification
Impurities are removed from ferrous metals by a magnetic system, and non-ferrous metals are purified by electrolysis. This ensures a high-quality recycled metal product.
Solidifying
The molten metal is cooled and hardened into blocks or sheets, to be used in the manufacturing of new steel products that are so essential to our lives.
Once metal products reach the end of their usefulness, they can be recycled again, and this closed-loop recycling shows how successful the recycling of metal can be.
We at Junk Removal Mechanicsburg are committed to recycling all junk metal in a responsible manner. We encourage the recycling of scrap metal for reuse to divert it from landfills.
Why Choose Us?
Junk Removal Mechanicsburg is your local, metal junk removal company in the Mechanicsburg PA area. We will dispose of all metal junk in a responsible manner as we care for our local environment as much as you do. We can haul away your scrap metal at a time that suits you, even over a weekend or after hours.
Please contact us for a free no obligation quote on 717 988 0997. We look forward to hearing from you.
Email: enquiries@junkremovalmechanicsburg.com
https://www.junkremovalmechanicsburg.com