| Worldwide metal production is ascertained | | | | the earth in a smart way. With recycling, |
| directly through ore deposits from mining, | | | | there is a huge amount of metals in use that |
| smelting, and refining. What are secondary | | | | will be recoverable at some future |
| metals? They are metals discarded through | | | | point.Aluminum recycling is a large portion |
| industrial and manufacturing operations or as | | | | of the scrap metals industry. In 1993, in a |
| commercial products that are now obsolete. | | | | survey of Western countries, 28 percent of |
| The benefit that recycling provides is that | | | | the total recycled scrap materials were made |
| we return these waste materials back into the | | | | up by aluminum. The others that were a |
| general manufacturing so they can be used for | | | | significant part of the total included |
| the production of new metal products, thus | | | | copper, lead, molybdenum, tin, and zinc.Scrap |
| saving costs and making things more efficient | | | | recycling is the process of recovering |
| in general. The secondary metals industry is | | | | secondary metals, and is subdivided into |
| involved in all aspects of this process, from | | | | three different classes of metals. They |
| locating scrap, to getting it to a recycle | | | | are:Home scrap : This is what remains after a |
| facility and then re-using the material for | | | | primary metal product is sold and is |
| new metal-based products.What's the rationale | | | | generated in a smelting or refining plant. |
| for determining if scrap metal is worth | | | | |
| recovering? Its potential for profit. In | | | | New or prompt scrap : This type of scrap can |
| terms of the basic factors that determine if | | | | easily be reprocessed for use in primary |
| a particular metal should be recycled, the | | | | metal manufacturing, it is essentially the |
| following areas are looked at: | | | | remains of the general manufacturing process. |
| | | | |
| How pure are the recovered products, what's | | | | |
| the market for the recycled products like, | | | | Old scrap : This is the type of recycling |
| and what is the true dollar value of the | | | | that we are most familiar with. Old scrap is |
| metal? | | | | recovered from consumer goods that are no |
| | | | longer being used. This could potentially |
| How much will it cost to collect and | | | | include discarded, used, or worn-out |
| transport? | | | | products. Also could include metal products |
| | | | rendered obsolete by technological advances |
| How much will it cost to sort and transform | | | | or production overruns. |
| it into reusable metal? | | | | |
| | | | In terms of product applications, metals are |
| How much will it cost to dispose of any | | | | rarely used in their pure and absolute form. |
| residual material? | | | | It's also tough and expensive to remove alloy |
| | | | elements from metals, so usually the alloyed |
| The advent of the industrial revolution in | | | | materials are recycled as alloyed metals |
| the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries | | | | only. The various metals that make up the |
| fueled the consumption of metals | | | | alloyed metal are not taken out to be used in |
| significantly. During the 20th century, this | | | | their pure state.Scrap metal recycling makes |
| trend continued and grew exponentially. By | | | | economic sense. It also shows our |
| the 1980's, the annual production of metals | | | | responsibility to the earth and to the |
| worldwide was a hundred times what it was in | | | | efficient use of our precious natural |
| the 1880's. Naturally, this incredible rise | | | | resources. If there's one positive thing that |
| in need for metals and the production of | | | | is happening in this area, it's that the |
| metal-based products has led many people to | | | | trend to recycle more continues.Applied |
| question if there is enough metal reserves in | | | | Recovery Systems Inc. is a privately held |
| the world to keep up with demand. Is it | | | | company located in central Texas. They have |
| sustainable? Is there an unending amount of | | | | been in the business of scrap metal chip |
| metals in the earth? No, on both accounts. | | | | processing and briquetting since 1992, all to |
| Scrap metal recycling is a natural part of | | | | save companies money and help the process of |
| the chain of use. Metal reserves are found, | | | | recycling aluminum, brass, copper, steel, and |
| they are made into a usable form, a product | | | | cast iron. Research and development will |
| is manufactured from it, the product is used, | | | | continue to be an integral part of the |
| discarded, and then the metal is used again. | | | | Corporation's objective so as to better serve |
| It just makes ecological sense - it's using | | | | the chip processing needs of its customers. |