What Happens to Scrap Metal When It’s Recycled?

Scrap metal recycling can be great for you and even better for the environment. Scrapping metal can put some extra cash in your pocket, clean the clutter out of your garage or basement, and help our environment at the same time! Recycling metal is beneficial to our environment because it saves energy and reduces the strain on limited natural resources. While almost everyone knows that metal recycling is beneficial to their wallet and the ecosystem, it’s not always clear how the process works. In this article, we’ll break down each step of the scrap metal recycling process!

Collection 
The first step of the scrap metal recycling process starts with you! You can find scrap metals in various places: at home, work, your neighbors, and even online. When you bring your scrap metals to a recycling center, you’ll get paid for them based on the current market price of the specific types of metals that you’ve brought in. Once the metals are in our facility, the real recycling process begins!

Sorting
Once scrap metal has been collected, the next step is to sort them into their individual types. If other components are still attached to the metal, such as plastic, wire, or adhesives, the facility workers remove the excess materials. Magnets are then used to differentiate ferrous metals from nonferrous metals and separate the two. The sorting continues as the facility divides the metals by type.

Processing
After the sorting process is complete, the metals need to be processed. This involves compacting the metals and cutting them down into manageable sizes. Next, the small compact pieces are shredded down into thin strips so that they’re ready for the next part of the process.

Melting
After the metal is sorted and shredded, the recycling center will begin melting down each individual type of metal. Given that different metals melt at different temperatures, only one kind of metal gets melted at a time. The specific metal may require additional time frames to melt completely, which is why sorting the metals appropriately is so important. 

Purification
The next step of the process is to purify the metals using electricity. When a current passes through a piece of metal, any impure contaminants are liquified. Another process utilizes a magnet for an additional round of separation before the metal is molded, cooled, and solidified.  

Transportation 
The new metals sheets are then transported to manufacturers to create new products. Although the recycling process requires some energy, it is far less than mining for new raw materials. The creation of new products with previously discarded metals is the ideal way to lessen the impact on the planet. A single piece of metal can be recycled an infinite amount of times, which is why it’s so important to recycle all the metal that you can! 

Contact Second Street Iron & Metal!
If you’re ready to start recycling scrap metal in the Greater Boston area, Second Street Iron & Metal is here for you! Our facility, located in Everett, is in the perfect location to accommodate all of the Greater Boston region! We strive to give you the best price for your scrap metal so that you can help your bank account and the environment. Give us a call at (617) 387-1188 or fill out the contact form on our website, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible!