When we hear recycling, we think of plastic bottles crafted into something useful, like a flower pot or a pencil case. We don’t realize that there is more to recycling than just plastics. We often overlook that metal is also a recyclable material, and that they offer many environmental and economic benefits.
Metal recycling is a booming industry. Canada, for instance, has a 66 percent overall rate of metal recycling. Additionally, metal recycling in Toronto is a prominent industry as well as in Ontario and other Canadian cities.
Keep reading to know how vital metal recycling is, and encourage more people to do it too.
Why recycle metal?
From preservation to job opportunities, recycling offers many benefits beyond handcrafting scrap into something else. These are some of those benefits:
Preserve Natural Resources
Did you know you can recycle metal repeatedly without diminishing its quality? Recycling also eliminates the need to create pure metals. Ultimately, this activity helps preserve the natural resources needed and the energy required for its production.
So, when this happens, the only reason for continuous new metal production is when demand increases. It’s also worth mentioning that recycling metal in computers or other electronics gives you the opportunity to recycle valuable metals, like gold and platinum.
Prevent Pollution
Metal production uses a vast amount of energy. Unfortunately, the energy it takes to create virgin steel significantly contributes to water and air pollution.
A study on energy efficiency found that secondary steel manufacturing, otherwise known as recycling steel, uses about 74 percent less energy. Additionally, using scrap metal uses 40 percent less water and creates 97 percent less mining waste.
Reducing Landfills
Metals can be recycled continuously but take a long time to biodegrade. This means if we don’t recycle them, landfills will fill up quickly, which will require more dumping grounds to be made to accommodate more of these scraps. The continuous creation of landfills is dangerous to the environment.
Organic mass landfills release methane gas from decomposition and this can massively contribute to climate change. In addition to methane gas, landfills produce carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen, and other compounds that are also harmful to the environment. Such factors are among the reasons why recycling is heavily encouraged.
Creates More Jobs
Many think that collection is the only job associated with recycling. People do make a living by collecting waste, but the industry offers more opportunities to earn via recycling.
Sorting and remanufacturing are among the jobs you can find in recycling. If someone creates a new company centred on recycling, there will also be a need for corporate roles like human resources and marketing. That means more job opportunities for everyone.
Metal Recycling Helps Secure Our Future
At the core of recycling is the big picture of our future. Metal is a material that uses a lot of energy to produce, which in turn creates pollution. This can greatly impact the environment over time.
The good thing, however, is that metal is entirely recyclable. By reworking and reusing metals, the entire planet reaps the benefits, both for the environment and the economy.
You don’t have to belong to a big company to help reduce metal waste. You can start by learning the step-by-step process associated with metal recycling and build your company from there. Any effort exerted to reduce, reuse, and recycle is one step closer towards a cleaner environment.
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