When you hear the word “recycling,” most people tend to think of separating aluminum cans, newspapers, and glass bottles into a blue disposal bin. But recycling goes well beyond these basic consumer products. Today’s metal recycling facilities can recycle everything from silicon steel to copper!
But how does this practice actually make a difference? It’s important to remember that metals are a finite resource. There is only so much of each metal ore in the earth. Recycling metal reduces the demand for additional mining work, which can be a costly endeavor.
Recycling metal — rather than manufacturing brand new components — also leads to significant energy savings, as the materials were already refined in the past. Remelting and reshaping metal uses 90% less energy for copper and aluminum production, which means less time is spent on the processes that cause greenhouse gas emissions.
All of this translates to a more cost-efficient approach that benefits both manufacturers and the environment. The new metal materials share the same properties as when they were first produced, ensuring quality results for years to come.