Keystone Iron and Metal Co., Inc.

Essentially, scrap metal for recycling can be categorized into two different types: ferrous and non-ferrous (or scrap metals other than steel and iron, including aluminum, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, cobalt, titanium, and chromium).

Recycling, in its literal meaning, is the making of used or unwanted objects into new, remanufactured things. Recycling is unique in the sense that remanufactured goods can be recycled again... and again... and again.

Did you realize that some of the canned goods in your cupboard are sealed in steel? Yes, one common use for steel is the production of cans for home goods. Those cans contain recycled steel, too. All steel cans contain a minimum of 25 percent recycled steel.

Why are recycled iron and steel in such demand? They cost less to reclaim, repurpose, and reuse than to make then from scratch. Modern recycling is making it easier to reclaim many materials that would otherwise overburden landfills across the country.

Did you know that an aluminum can can go from the recycling bin to being back on the shelf in as few as 60 days? Now that’s recycling at it’s most productive. Keep this trash out of the landfill by recycling.

Although aluminum cans get lots of attention where recycling is concerned, there are lots of products made from aluminum that can be reclaimed. Here are some examples: bicycles, boats, household foil, siding, cookware, and roof gutters.

While it may be more convenient to simply throw all your company’s waste materials into the dumpster at the end of the day, it’s not the most ecologically response thing to do. If you’d like to learn more about metal recycling, we’re always here for you.

Why is recycling metal a good idea? It reduces pollution, saves resources, reduces waste going into landfills, and prevents the destruction of habitats from mining new ore. Producing recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy and emits 95% less carbon dioxide than when making aluminum from bauxite ore.

Glass is similar to most metals in that it’s possible to recycle both materials over and over without any loss of quality. Recycling a single glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 30 minutes, according to recycling experts.

In metal recycling, there are two main categories of scrap metal: ferrous metal and nonferrous metal. While the ferrous metal contains some degrees of iron, nonferrous metal (such as aluminum, copper, and lead) does not.

Waste management handles the disposal of trash, while recycling creates new value and a second, useful life for some of those materials as reclaimed resources. Through the efforts of concerned citizens and businesses, more recyclable materials are being repurposed and reused every year.

As the prices for scrap metal rises, more and more people are realizing that fortunes can be made in scrapping metal. Our landfills are bursting with recyclable metals - what a tragic waste!

Don’t forget, old home electronics contain many metals. Computer components are made of lead, mercury and other harmful metals that can damage the environment if they are just discarded.