Metal recycling stimulates economic activity and reduces harmful environmental effects of metal production. Similar to the recycling of other materials, such as paper, cardboard, and plastic, metal recycling activities include determining what is suitable for recycling, sorting the materials, transporting and obtaining recyclable materials, and transforming the materials into new usable products. A recycling service in Baltimore can assist with determining what metals are suitable for recycling and pick up the materials from businesses or residences. Examples of common metals used by residences are aluminum cans.
Reasons for Recycling
The two primary reasons for recycling are economic and environmental. Recycling helps stimulate economic activity by providing jobs and income for waste management companies. Billions of dollars in economic activity are created through recycling programs. See about Mid-Atlantic Metals Inc for examples of how recycling can provide jobs and income to local communities. By reducing the amount of hazardous waste that dumped in landfills, recycling re-uses material that is non-biodegradable.
Types of Metals
Commercial activity accounts for a significant portion of metals available for recycling. While a Recycling Service in Baltimore can transform these types of materials, commercial businesses may need assistance in determining what can be recycled and what cannot. Examples of what can be recycled include copper, zinc, steel, lead and nickel. These materials come from vehicles, appliances, steel used in buildings, and steel used to reinforce the structure of buildings. Aluminum can waste can come from residential activity, but many commercial businesses also have the need to recycle these due to employee use on the job.
Recycling metals is important to both the environment and the economy. When unused metals are dumped into landfills, the materials sit there indefinitely and increase the carbon footprint in two ways. First, the material sits there, does not biodegrade, and harmful materials can pollute soil and water. Second, more metal is extracted from the earth’s natural resources and manufactured using fossil fuels. Recycling services provide jobs and stimulate the exchange of currency in local, state, and national economies. If metal materials can be used again to meet the demands of producers and consumers, the recycling process also prevents unnecessary pollution.
