Recycling scrap metal is a great way to make extra cash, preserve the environment, and clear out space on your property.
However, not everyone who has scrap metal to spare knows about the importance of recycling their unwanted metals. Leaving metals to rot on your property or out on the corner for general collection is the wrong way to handle your scraps.
Here’s a closer look at why and what happens when scrap metal is left to waste.
Wasted Scrap Metal Crowds Out Landfills
Did you know that the United States alone creates over 200 million tons of waste that goes straight to local landfills? Unfortunately, a healthy portion of said waste is recyclable metals.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the 2,000 landfills in the US will reach their capacity by 2035. Recycling scrap metals keep recyclable materials out of landfills and adds a little more time to make proper use of local landfills.
Unrecycled Scraps Are a Wasted Natural Resource
Your scrap metals come from a limited natural resource. Leaving your recyclables to deteriorate on your property or in a landfill prevents valuable metals from being reused over and over again.
This means that more limited resources will need to be mined, putting more pressure on ever-depleting resources.
Pollution Increase
Aside from depleting natural resources and fossil fuels, mining new metals lead to environmental pollution from mining machinery.
As if more greenhouse gasses weren’t bad enough, most scrap metals that go to waste stem from electronics. When electronics sit in landfills, they release harmful toxins like mercury and cadmium into the surrounding soil and water supplies.
Even second-hand exposure to these chemicals can be fatal for humans and local wildlife.
Increased Manufacturing Costs
Sending scrap metal to the landfill increases the cost of metals for everyone that needs them. When mining and processing new metals are taken into account, the cost of these products skyrockets.
New metals cost twice as much as their recycled counterparts. So, leaving your scraps to waste is literally taking money out of your or your neighbor’s pocket.
Destroyed Natural Habitats
Mining for new metals doesn’t just impact our access to fossil fuels and natural resources. It also harms the natural environments around the mining site. Whenever a team digs out land to gather new metals, that’s another natural habitat destroyed for the environment.
Recycling scrap metals decreases the need for collecting new materials and lets us keep current metals in use while preserving the habitat of valuable wildlife in our communities.
Turn in Your Scraps for Maximum Profit at Action Metals Recyclers
If your home or business has excess amounts of scrap lying around, make the most of it with Action Metals Recyclers. We offer the best prices in Dallas for all scrap metals and can help you collect, organize, and drop off your scraps, today!
Contact us to learn more about our services and schedule your first scrap haul-off.
