Did you know that metal recycling is one of the best ways to help the environment? It’s true! Recycling metal helps conserve natural resources, saves energy, and prevents pollution. In this article, we are going to break down all the benefits of metal recycling and teach you how to recycle metal from home!
Benefits of Metal Recycling
Slow Landfill Growth
It can take centuries for metal scraps to decompose in landfills. By recycling metal, you help keep it out of our landfills. In Canada, the average person throws away about 80kg of metal each year! That’s a lot of metal taking up space in our landfills. When we recycle metal, we conserve valuable landfill space and reduce pollution.
Creating Jobs
Did you know that recycling also creates jobs? In Canada, over 57,000 people are employed in the recycling industry! That’s a lot of jobs that wouldn’t exist without recycling. By recycling your metal scraps, you’re not only helping the environment – you’re also supporting Canadian jobs.
Conserves Natural Resources
One of the most important benefits of metal recycling is that it conserves natural resources. Every year, mining and quarrying operations extract millions of tons of metal from the earth. This process requires a lot of energy and can have a negative impact on the environment. Recycling metal instead helps to preserve these precious resources.
Save Energy
In addition to conserving natural resources, metal recycling also saves energy. For example, recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours! And recycling just one pound of steel can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for over four months. These are just two examples of how metal recycling can help conserve energy and make a difference in the fight against climate change.
Prevents Pollution
Another benefit of metal recycling is that it prevents pollution. Mining and quarrying operations can release harmful toxins into the air and water, which can damage ecosystems and human health. Recycling metal helps to reduce these emissions and protect our planet.
How To Recycle Metal From Home
Now that we’ve talked about all the benefits of recycling metal, let’s talk about how you can do your part from home.
Sort Your Metal Scraps
The first step is to sort your metal scraps into different types. Ferrous metals, like steel and iron, are magnetic and can be recycled together. Non-ferrous metals, like aluminum and copper, are not magnetic and should be recycled separately.
Contact Your Local Metal Recycling Company
Once you’ve sorted your metal scraps, it’s time to contact your local metal recycling company. They will be able to tell you what types of metals they accept and how to best prepare them for recycling. Next, the company will arrange a time for pick up at your location.
Wait For Pick Up
Last but not least, all you have to do is wait for pick up! Once the recycling company has picked up your metal scraps, they will take them to a local processing facility. At the facility, the metals will be sorted and sold to companies that will recycle them into new products.
Metal recycling is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to reduce your environmental impact. By recycling metal, you can conserve valuable resources, save energy, and prevent pollution. If you’re looking for an easy way to do your part in preserving our planet, start recycling metal today! Contact us today to book a pick-up or learn more about our metal recycling services.
