5 Reasons to Recycle Scrap Metal

Metal, as a material, can be recycled infinitely without losing structure or quality. This reason alone should be enough to encourage you to ensure it reaches recycling facilities to be made into something new. However, there are plenty of other reasons to recycle it.

We’ve explored how you can help yourself and the planet by choosing a responsible scrap metal recycling facility for all your commercial waste.

Minimise the Mining for More

Metals come from ores which are natural rocks within the ground. These have been formed over millions of years, so the earth is only home to a limited amount. To extract these ores from the ground, they must be mined from large ore deposits, with concentrated amounts of ores to extract. However, ores do not come predominantly with metals. They are enclosed with various other compounds that need removing to produce the pure metal.

Recycling scrap metal reduces the need for new metal and virgin materials, which prevents as much need for mining for raw material, reducing all the impact this has on the earth and atmosphere. Extracting the material from the ore requires significant heat and energy. This is produced using fossil fuels and then produces greenhouse gases, especially as the ore is transported to multiple sites throughout its production.

You Could Earn a Bit of Money

When you recycle your scrap metal, you could find yourself sitting on a bit of a gold mine. Each metal offers various properties and demands. Like every other market, metal prices fluctuate with the need for supply and demand. The more in-demand a type of metal is, and the least available quantity, the higher the price is pushed.

This fluctuation means that getting your metal traded to recycle at the right time could make you a significant profit. We accept all forms of trade scrap metal. Whether you have a fair bit of cable lying around after jobs or have more substantial waste from building demolition, we can provide skips to remove the metal within the same day. Our non ferrous metal recycling service can process many common metals within the trades, each weighing in at different prices. Find out what your scrap could be worth by calling us directly.

It Helps to Promote More Sustainability Within the Metal Industry

Of course, with most companies looking to be carbon neutral by at least 2030, by recycling scrap metal with facilities like ours, you are assisting not only in reducing your carbon footprint but the carbon footprint of companies who will go on to use the recycled material.

So, whilst you may see it as a little extra cash, you could be getting paid to reduce your carbon footprint. For example, when we recycle steel, we reduce the need for energy by 75%, which can go a long way to cutting carbon emissions. By recycling metal, we can reduce the need for fossil fuels, and it’s a greener way to produce material for manufacture and construction.

It Fills a Growing Gap

There have been many global events which have impacted the metal industry. From the war between Ukraine and Russia to the Covid 19 Pandemic, each has played a significant role in preventing buying and selling of metal. By choosing to recycle, you can help us provide more material to the industry to keep up with the growing demand.

In China, even two years after the pandemic began, they still face factories shutting down due to a zero-tolerance policy with Covid 19. Many factories in this country have not opened their doors for nearly three years because of it. China, one of the most prominent players in the metal industry, has significantly reduced the metal available. The more we recycle, the more chance we can supply to smelting factories in other countries to recycle our scrap into more usable material. Ukraine and Russia are also vital countries in the sector of exporting ferrous metals such as steel. In fact, Russia was the 5th largest exporter of ferrous metals in the world in 2021. So, with the lack of importing and exporting from them, this too has seen a growth in demand worldwide for new material, making our ferrous metal recycling essential.

It Makes Way for a Greener Future

We have already discussed the benefits of recycling, preventing mining, and offering a more sustainable future, but the automotive industry is another critical aspect of recycling scrap metal. Each year, thousands of more electric cars are on the road, reducing pollution and providing hope for a greener future. This can only be done if we aim to recycle our old cars.

Here at Morecambe metals, we offer a complete end-of-life vehicle recycling process. With our scrap my car services, you will be ensuring that your old vehicle doesn’t just get left to rot but is broken down successfully into more reusable parts and materials. The material from your old car will be broken down and go a long way to producing more eco-friendly vehicles and products.

For information about disposing of your commercial scrap metal or help to find the right services for your business, speak to the team today. Make your first step into helping create a greener future.