What Metals Can Be Recycled?
Recycling involves reusing old, unwanted material, such as metal products, to make new items. As of 2011, GreenStudentU reports that recycling metal requires 95 percent less energy than making the same products from raw materials. Furthermore, recycling reduces dependence on the Earth's non-renewable sources of metal and decreases harm to the environment from the mining and production processes of raw materials. A number of different types of metal are used to manufacture an array of products that are ideal for recycling. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Steel
-
Iron ore is abundant and necessary to produce steel, however; the process to make steel from ore requires large amounts of energy. The amount of energy needed to produce new steel compared to the cost of remelting scrap material into new products makes recycling steel popular. The most recycled steel product used by consumers is the automobile. The Steel Recycling Institute states that when considering total weight, steel and iron make up approximately 65 percent of the average automobile. Appliances, such as washers and dryers, refrigerators, water heaters and air conditioners normally consist of about 60 percent steel by weight. Appliances are produced with a minimum of 25 percent recycled steel, while others contain up to 100 percent recycled steel. Steel cans used for an array of packaging needs are often crushed into cubes and reused. Additionally, many steel construction materials are recycled.
Aluminum
-
The process of recycling aluminum is simple as it only involves the re-melting of scrap for reuse. Common aluminum products used in recycling include soda cans, appliances, automotive parts and windows and doors. The aluminum recycling procedure is less expensive than mining the metal's raw material, called bauxite ore. According to Benefits of Recycling, recycling aluminum involves only approximately five percent of the total energy necessary to manufacture the metal from raw materials. After steel, aluminum is the most widely recycled type of metal.
-
Copper
-
Almost all copper products are 100 percent recyclable, thus; more than 80 percent of all copper ever mined is still used in one form or another. Most products made of copper have a lifespan of approximately 30 years before being recycled. Popular examples of copper products are electrical wiring and cable, water pipes and architectural items, such as roofing material. Furthermore, automobile radiators are an abundant source for copper recycling. Copper recycling provides an environmental advantage because, in most cases, the metal is easily melted and formed into new products.
Lead
-
Automobile batteries are a common source of lead recycling, with lead-acid batteries providing 97 percent of all recycled lead. After being removed from batteries, lead is melted and formed into blocks where it is then used in the manufacture of new products. Lead battery recycling also creates opportunities to reuse plastic in new battery cases and neutralize battery acid through a treatment process that turns the substance into water. Lead is a naturally occurring mineral.
Zinc
-
Zinc is commonly used to protect steel through a plating process. Zinc is often recycled as part of the steel recycling procedure by using a special furnace that heats the steel to a molten state, while the zinc plating vaporizes into a gas that is captured and then treated, turning it into dust. This zinc dust is then processed into zinc oxide, which is used as a raw material for manufacturing zinc metal. In addition to steel, all zinc-coated products can be recycled to recover and reuse zinc.
-
References
- Green Student U: Metal (What is metal recycling?)
- Benefits of Recycling: Recycling Metals
- Benefits of Recycling: Aluminum Recycling Prices
- Steel Recycling Institute: Steel -- Driving Auto Recycling Success
- Steel Recycling Institute: Recycling Steel Appliances
- Steel Recycling Institute: Recycling Steel Cans
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
