We all know recycling is important, but do you know how metal recycling conserves energy? It’s a little-known fact, but metal recycling is one of the most efficient ways to conserve energy on the planet.
When you recycle metal, you’re reusing a material that has already been mined and processed. This means that there is less energy required to produce new metal products. Let’s take a closer look at how recycling copper and other metals helps conserve energy!
If you have scrap metal kicking around your home or job site, come see us at Federal Metals! We accept copper, steel, and most other metals as scrap material. And if you’re looking for recycled steel products in Calgary, Federal Metals is your local resource.
Why is Recycling Metal Important?
Metal recycling is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. That’s because metal products are recycled over and over again, which means they don’t end up in landfills. In fact, metal recycling reduces greenhouse gases by reducing the need for metal mining and processing of raw materials. This saves energy and water and reduces pollution by over 75%.
Recycling metal helps conserve resources such as oil, gas, coal and water which all have negative environmental impacts when they are used up or contaminated during extraction processes. It’s estimated that every tonne recycled saves about 1400 kWh worth of electricity per year too! So next time you’re thinking about throwing out some metal scraps – think twice.
How Much Energy Does Metal Recycling Save?
The International Copper Association estimates that metal recycling conserves 95% more energy than making new metal from ore deposits. And it takes only about 15-20% of the original energy required to recycle steel, aluminum, copper, and other metals!
This is why metal scrap recycling is so important: it makes a difference in how much energy we conserve and contributes to the circular economy.
So the next time you have metal to recycle, don’t forget about Federal Metals! We’re Calgary’s metal recycling experts, and we’re always happy to help you reduce your environmental impact.
Common Recyclables: Aluminum, Copper, Steel
Steel, copper, and aluminum are all commonly used in construction and all easily recycled! But so many of the metals used to build or furnish your home are recyclable.
Many ferrous and non-ferrous metals can be sold as scrap to your local metal recycler. And if you have any doubt about scrap metal lying around your property, just give us a call and we’ll let you know what we can accept.
Recycling Aluminum
Aluminum is one of the most popular materials in metal recycling. It’s estimated that 75% of all aluminum produced since 1888 is still in use today. Aluminum cans are the most common recyclable, but aluminum foil and other metal products can also be recycled at scrap metal yards like Federal Metals.
Unlike many other materials like plastic or paper, aluminum doesn’t break down when it’s recycled. So by recycling aluminum instead of throwing it away, you’re helping to preserve our planet. And the quality of this reused aluminum is never compromised in the process.
Recycling Copper
Copper is another very common metal recyclable. Copper wire, plumbing pipes and fittings are often found at scrap metal businesses because they’re worth so much money after being processed into new copper products. Coins and appliances are some of the items made of recycled copper.
In recent years, the price of copper has skyrocketed. Learn more about how much your scrap copper might actually be worth.
Recycling Steel
Steel has been a major player in metal recycling for centuries now, making up about half of all scrap metal collected in the United States and Canada. In fact, steel is the most recycled material on the planet.
Versatility is a major reason that steel works so well as a recyclable product. It can be used to make everything from cars and appliances to bridges and buildings. And all of these things are made with 90% recycled steel on average.
Buying recycled steel is always a good idea. You get a superior product made in an environmentally conscious way.
Positive Impact on Landfills
Recycling metal has many benefits for both people and planet earth. One of the benefits is the positive impact on landfills. Metal recycling reduces waste in landfills by reusing metals that would otherwise end up there, taking up valuable space. And we know landfills have long-term detrimental effects on our planet.
Reusing metal helps to conserve natural resources and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Recycling is important because it allows us to repurpose metal into functional material instead of just throwing it away!
Metal Recycling Saves You Money
The metal scrap industry is booming and metal recycling has become a major part of the economy. Not to mention that scrapping metal saves you money by putting dollars in your pocket for what would otherwise be wasted.
The Federal Metal(s) recycling system is simple: we take your old metal items and turn them into money. Our bin service makes it even more convenient to recycle metal and save the environment.Federal Metals is a proud recycler of copper, steel and other metals. We work hard to keep Calgary green by accepting all types of scrap metal for recycling. If you want to make a positive impact on the environment and a positive impact on your bottom line, give us a call.
