Scrap metal is a combination of waste metal or metallic materials or any other product which contains metal and can be recycled again. It has great monetary value.
It can be any metallic material, it might be part of a vehicle or building supply. The scrap metal is very valuable material. It of so much value that these days that the metal recycling industry of the UK is going up these days and it has reached around 5.6 billion pounds. The scrap metal can come from various sources including residential and industrial utility. It does not matters that weather the scrap is nonferrous or ferrous scrap, the key here is to convert it to a raw material which can be used as smelting of new metals.
The scrap metals are of high market value they have the ability to be used again and again through recycling. Like the wires and electrical equipment made of metal is in use of electricians and copper pipes and fixtures of brass are in use of plumbers the can be recycled again to make new products. Unfortunately most of the materials which can be recycled are usually thrown into the garbage and go to the dump because there is less knowledge about recycling and people have less awareness about it.
Prices of Scrap Metals
- Prices of Scrap Aluminum
There are different price ranges for different types of materials. For auto rims made of aluminum the price is around $0.72/lb. The aluminum breakage containing steel or other contaminants are priced around $0.16/lb. Casted aluminum costs around $0.55/lb. Extruded aluminum costs around $0.70/lb. The pop cans or the soda cans which are either crushed or as a whole are priced around $0.50/lb. The semi rims are priced around $0.60/lb. The aluminum sheets are priced around $0.58/lb. The aluminum siding costs around $0.60/lb. Turnings made of aluminum are priced around $0.15/lb.
- Prices of Scrap Brass
Different brass materials are priced differently. Red brass which is free of any lead contaminants is priced $2.90/lb. Yellow brass which contains brass castings is priced around $2.40/lb. Cartilages made of brass are priced around $2.40/lb. Copper brass radiators are priced around $2.10/lb for clean radiators and for dirty copper brass radiators the price is around $0.95/lb.
- Prices of Scrap Iron and Steel
The prices of iron and steel have increased in the US in 2020 to 210 US dollars per the metric ton of steel or iron. The major consumers of steel and iron scraps are industries such as those who manufacture the steel castings or the pig iron. The raw materials obtained are used to make steel products.
Where to take the Scrap Metal?
There is a million tons of scrap which is just stranded into the basements or the garages. It’s just seems like an extra work to do the effort of taking them to a scrapyard and sell them so that they can be recycled. But this is a really important step which must be done for protection of our environment. There is nothing more to the fact that moving this scrap junk to a scrapyard which can recycle it other than the fact that it would save your environment. People hear about the recycling of scrap metal all the type just don’t get the courage to get into this train of recycling.
But getting to know about the benefits of recycling the scrap present in your home you will eventually get into this work as a routine. As it is not only good for environment but also removes the extra trash from your house and it gives you money which is good. There are many companies and plants al across the US who are working on this project of scrapping metal.
Famous Companies that deal with scrap metal:
Following is the list of companies who deal with ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals:
- Metal Management Inc.
- Omni Source corp.
- Tube City Inc.
- Philip Metal Inc.
- Hugo Neu Corp.
- Commercial Metals Co.
- David J. Joseph Co.
- Miller Compressing Co.
- Southern Scrap Recycling
- Samuels Recycling Co.
- Gershow Recycling.[i]
Benefits of Scrapping Metal
Following are some of the benefits of scrapping the metal:
Saves Energy
Very less energy is consumed in making a new product of metal from a metal scrap rather than making it from fresh raw materials. As in this case the metal is already present and available it just needs to be modified for a new product. A huge amount of energy is saved when one ton of metal is recycled as this is comparable to the energy supplied to 4 houses for 4 months is new metal was generated. Such energy savings lead to cheap consumer products. It also helps in reducing greenhouse emissions.
Conserves Natural Resources
Another benefit of recycling scrap metal is that it also helps in the conservation of natural resources which are diminishing day by day. Instead of just using all available resources in the nature the recycling industry provides new metal sources from existing metals. The recycling of the scrap metal has other benefits as well such as that recycling reduces the consumption of water which is needed to create new materials. Mining for getting the natural resources is a very expensive method and it leads to production of products which are more expensive. However, recycling can reduce overall costs and lead to production of cheaper products.
Slow Landfill Growth
When the existing materials are recycled they are less piled up in the landfills. Metals take a very long time to biodegrade and sit in the landfills creating greater dump and wastage. There is limited landfill space on our planet and we need to use it wisely. So it is important to follow this recycling culture as it is important for our environment.
Economic Benefits
The recycling industry is great for the economy. It creates around 5 lac jobs with around $13 billion tax revenue each year. It plays important role in the trade balance of the country. Thus promoting recycling is best for the economy of a country. [ii]
[i] https://www.recyclingtoday.com/article/top-20-nonferrous-scrap-processors/
[ii] https://www.fairsalvage.com/4-advantages-of-recycling-metals.html
