When you’re talking about recycling metal, the benefits are numerous not just economically, but also for the environment. Whether you know it or not, all kinds of scrap metal can recycled for a number of other uses.
Consider these facts:
- About 143 billion pounds of scrap metal and iron was recycled around the world in 2016.
- Steel is absolutely 100% recyclable and about 75% of steel in average electrical appliances is made from recycled steel.
- Almost 40% of steel products made today are actually made from scrap metal.
- Recycling in the auto industry alone accounts for nearly 40% of scrap metals.
Believe it or not, everything from soda pop cans to piping to cars can be recycled and it’s repurposed in everything from electronics to furnishings to art.
So why should you recycle scrap metal? Consider the following benefits:
- It’s eco-friendly: Recycling scrap metal is a great thing for the environment. Recycling metal means it doesn’t end up in landfills and there’s less pollution as a result. By recycling scrap metal, it cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. Whether you know it or not, production of new metal releases large amounts of pollution, which can cause major issues in large cities as well as the environment as a whole. Studies have shown that recycling metal can cut down on emissions by as much as 300-500 million tons.
- It fuels job creation: The recycling of scrap metal employees more than a million Americans every year and generates north of $200 billion annually. It creates more than 30 times the amount of jobs then sending it to a landfill or an incinerator.
- It conserves energy: New metals take a lot of energy to produce , but recycling metal uses much less energy especially in steel (65% less) and aluminum (95% less).
- You can earn money: Not only does recycling metal help the environment and fuel job creation, but it can also make you some money. Scrap metal dealers and scrap yards will take most metals you have to offer whether you have iron, steel, brass, aluminum or copper to name a few. Some metals are worth more than other and you can check with various scrap metal dealers to see what they offer as far as cashouts.
- It can free up space: By taking metal to scrap metal dealers, you not only have a chance to make some money, you’ll likely free up some space in the garage or shed or even your backyard, depending on where the metal is. Getting rid of it by recycling with scrap metal dealers will free up space and also remove what is likely a giant eye-sore where you’ve got the metal laying around.
So if you’ve got some scrap metal laying around, you might be wondering what’s the best way to sell it. Here are some quick tips to make it happen:
- Examine your stuff: You may not think so, but a lot of common household items are filled with metal. Your toaster for example, has copper in it as well as steel. If you’ve got old or updated stuff such as appliances, don’t chuck it in the trash. Take it to scrap metal dealers where you can get some money and where it can be reused.
- Understand value: If you’re going to sell your scrap metal to scrap metal dealers, it pays to know the value of what you have. Certain scrap metal yards will likely offer higher scrap metal prices than other yards and before you sell anything, you can call around to find the best prices. Be advised that payouts can range anywhere from a nickel to a few dollars per pound, but depending on how much you’ve got, it can add up to a lot.
- Find the right spot: As previously mentioned, it pays to shop around if you’ve got scrap metal. You can search online to find locations not only to sell your metal, but where the best spots are.
By recycling your scrap metal you can make money, help the environment and free up space in your home. It’s a no-brainer and scrap metal dealers will be more than happy to take your offerings and you can feel good about participating in metal recycling.
