The recycling of scrap metal involves the processing and recovery of scrap metals from structures or end-of-life products. It also includes the processing of manufacturing scrap into raw materials which can be used to produce new goods. The recycling of scrap metal involves the following steps
- Sorting and recovery
- Baling and brokering
- Smelting and shearing.
Metal Recycling Services in Baltimore provides a number of commercial opportunities for businesses. These businesses may carry out one or more of the above processes. The recycling of scrap metal is more eco-friendly than the extraction and processing of raw metallic materials. The industry has a lot of other advantages that are very beneficial to the environment. It diverts the metal scraps that will otherwise have been dumped at landfills and also provides raw materials to be used in new products. This reduces the carbon footprint while conserving and promoting the efficient use of natural resources.
Scrap metal recycling helps the economy by generating a lot of revenue. According to the ISRI, the industry has consistently generated over $70 billion annually in the U.S. There are two major categories of scrap metal being recycled, and they are ferrous and nonferrous metal. The nonferrous metals include copper, aluminum, lead, tin, nickel, zinc, etc. while the ferrous metals are those that contain iron. In the U.S alone, the quantity of ferrous metals recycled in the year 2014 was approximately seventy-three million metric tons. Though the volume of ferrous metals being recycled was greater, the recycling of non ferrous metals generated more revenue due to the fact that they were more expensive than their ferrous counterparts.
However, the recycling rate still needs to be improved as the rate of recycling is still low. Reports show that most metals still have a recovery rate of less than fifty percent. Therefore, there is a need for more awareness on the benefits of metal recycling. Recyclable metals are still being consigned to the waste bin in most homes and commercial buildings. Also, the technology for recycling and waste management still needs to be improved. For more information on Recycling Services in Baltimore, please contact Mid-Atlantic Metals Inc.
