If you are cleaning out your shed, garage or industrial property and don’t know what to do with your metals, here are a few tips on which scrap metals can be recycled.
Almost any item which is 50% metal can be recycled. Recycled metals are soldered down to create secondary metals, meaning that new products can be made. There are no main differences between primary metals made from raw materials and secondary recycled metals, therefore selling off your old metals is highly beneficial to you and the environment.
Scrap metals are either ferrous or nonferrous.
Ferrous metals include:
- Steel
- Cast Iron
- Household appliances (e.g dishwashers, microwaves, irons, ovens, fridges and freezers)
- Vehicles (e.g cars, lorries and trucks)
- Steel doors
- Hardware (screws, nails, and nuts and bolts)
- Railway tracks.
Non-ferrous metals include:
- Copper (wiring)
- Brass (taps and ornaments)
- Lead roofing
- Radiators
- Lead batteries from vehicles
- Aluminium (pots and pans).
Non-ferrous metals are hardly ever scrapped for recycling due to their worth, therefore are not part of the environmental crisis as disposable ferrous materials are. Recycling scrap metal means that new steel can be created without losing its primary properties and is used again for both industrial and domestic purposes.
Scrap metals can be collected from individuals, manufacturers, businesses and the government to re-use for the production of new items. Experts suggest that for every tonne of steel which is recycled, 1000 pounds of coal, 2500 pounds of iron ore and 40 pounds of limestone are saved. Protecting our rare raw materials is more crucial than ever, as they are dwindling away before our very eyes.