How Eco-Friendly is Scrap Metal Recycling?
At Kas Metal Trading, we know better than anyone how beneficial scrap metal recycling is for the environment. So, we’ve put together the following guide to help spread this knowledge even further!
Scrap Metal Recycling Preserves Natural Resources
Scrap metal recycling replaces the need to produce new metals from scratch, which would usually involve mining and processing natural ores, such as coal and iron ore. Preserving these natural resources is a huge benefit for the environment, as their combustion is one of the main contributors to climate change, especially the combustion of coal ore.
For example, in 2010, coal accounted for 43% of global greenhouse gas emissions, leaving a lasting impact on the ongoing climate issue.
Recycling Scrap Metal Reduces Energy Use
Recycling old scrap metal and reusing it requires much less energy than it would to keep using raw materials over and over. For instance, recycling scrap aluminium uses 95% less energy than producing it from scratch, and recycling scrap steel saves 60% of the energy required to produce it from iron ore.
Not only does the process reduce energy, but the process can also be repeated time and time again without damaging the original properties/quality of the metals. Even with valuable metals, such as aluminium, most are 100% recyclable – infinitely.
The Process Reduces Pollution
As we’ve established, creating a new, virgin metal from raw materials requires natural ore to be mined and processed, which in turn creates waste that is diverted to landfills. Whereas, recycling scrap metal does not require any additional materials for the process to occur – not only preserving natural resources and reducing coal combustion, but also turning any leftover waste into recycled material which can be reused in time to come.
Diverting as much waste as possible from landfills is hugely advantageous for the environment, as landfill waste takes many years to break down. As it decomposes, it can release toxins and create leachate (water that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents), which pollutes both land and water.
Recycling Metals Protects Natural Habitats and Wildlife
Scrap metal recycling replaces the need for mining – reducing carbon emissions, greenhouse gases and the negative impact the process has on natural habitats, wildlife and biodiversity.
Mining contaminants, such as cyanide, heavy metals (e.g. lead, copper and zinc from rocks) and acids, can be extremely harmful to animals. For example, iron ore mining can pollute water with heavy metals and acid, which could harm aquatic species such as fish, as well as their natural habitat.
Re-Using Scrap Metal Lessens the Effects of Global Warming
Overall, all of the above translates into a lessening of the effects of global warming.
To summarise:
- Scrap metal recycling preserves natural resources, which in turn reduces coal combustion (a major source of carbon emissions/greenhouse gases).
- Recycling even that of valuable metals, can save energy by as much as 95%!
- Recycling scrap metal replaces the need for landfill sites, which are one of the biggest sources of chemical and visual pollution.
- Contaminants created from mining are very harmful to natural habitats, wildlife and biodiversity.
Recycle Your Scrap Metal with Kas Today
Scrap metal recycling is a simple, yet very effective, way to partake in sustainable practices and help to protect the environment. At Kas Metal Trading, we provide both local and corporate scrap metal yards for your ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycling needs.
As fellow traders, we understand how busy tradespeople can be. Which is why we offer SAME-DAY payments, always based on the London Metal Exchange (LME), if you bring your scrap metal to us before 4pm!
Visit any of our local scrap metal yard locations today to carry less weight to your next job, earn some extra cash and do your bit for the environment.
You can “weigh-it-in” with our scrap metal merchants at any of the following locations:
