How Scrap Metal Recycling is Beneficial to the Environment

Environmental pressures are pushing people to find ways to recycle more and use less. For this reason, it’s no surprise that scrap metal recycling has jumped in popularity in recent years. If you’ve got a collection of old appliances, aluminum cans, or any other scrap metal, keep reading to learn more about why you should consider recycling it!

Benefits to the Environment:

Less Mining

Mining for ore is very taxing on the planet. Large chunks of the earth are dug up or tunneled into in the search for raw materials that can be made into metal. Large amounts of resources are used for the mining equipment, which leads to air and land pollution. Mining can even cause sinkholes to appear, damaging property and land. Deforestation, dwindling populations of local flora and fauna, and water contamination can all be caused by mining. For these reasons, it’s important for us to reuse as much metal as possible so less raw materials are needed.

Reduces Landfill Volume

Whatever metals aren’t recycled or reused usually ends up at a landfill. Not every material can be recycled, so, naturally, there will be some added landfill volume each year, but recycling scrap metal is a great way to prevent overfilling garbage dumps. Instead of taking up space, scrap metal can be recycled and made into a functional product over and over again.

Prevents Toxic Exposure

Though the raw materials used to make metal come from the earth, unrecycled metals can actually cause harm to the soil and groundwater if they aren’t recycled. Toxic components of metals can leak into the ground and affect plants, animals, water sources, and more, leading to an unhealthy environment. Recycling removes these toxic elements and makes the metal ready for further usage without damaging the environment.

Conserves Energy

​Creating a metal object from virgin ore uses up a lot of energy. Recycling, on the other hand, uses only a fraction of that energy. This means metal production gets more energy-efficient the more it is used and recycled.

What Metals Can I Recycle? 

The most common metals you can recycle are copper, brass, iron, aluminum, and stainless steel. They can all be found around the house, especially in the kitchen, electrical systems, and plumbing. Before getting rid of old appliances or cooking items, head to your local scrap metal specialist to see if they can be recycled! The best part is that you’ll be paid for your unwanted metals!

Contact Second Street Iron & Metal!

If you’re ready to give scrap metal recycling a try in the Greater Boston area, get in touch with Second Street Iron & Metal! We’ll give you the best price for your scrap metal, so 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!