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What Is Scrap Metal Recycling?
Scrap metal recycling involves the recovery and processing of scrap metal from end-of-life products or structures, as well as from manufacturing scrap so that it can be introduced as a raw material in the production of new goods. Scrap metal recycling involves the number of steps such as recovery, sorting, brokering, baling, shearing, and smelting. Businesses may perform several such activities.
The scrap metal recycling industry embraces the range of economic activities encompassed in scrap metal recycling. Scrap metal recycling is more environmentally friendly than extracting and processing virgin material. Metal recycling is an activity undertaken by entrepreneurs such as scrap metal collectors, as well as by a range of companies large and small that in the aggregate, comprise the scrap recycling industry.
When talking about scrap metal recycling, it is important to differentiate between the two main categories of scrap metal: ferrous metal, and nonferrous metal.
Ferrous Scrap Recycling:
Steel is the most recycled material both in New Zealand and worldwide. Obsolete ferrous scrap is recovered from automobiles, steel structures, household appliances, railroad tracks, ships, farm equipment and other sources. In addition, scrap generated from industrial and manufacturing sources accounts for approximately half of the ferrous scrap supply.
Non-Ferrous Scrap Recycling:
Non-Ferrous metals, including aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, zinc and others, are among the few materials that do not degrade or lose their chemical or physical properties in the recycling process. As a result, nonferrous metals have the capacity to be recycled an infinite number of times. Non-Ferrous scrap is collected from a wide array of consumer, commercial and industrial sources: everything from copper and precious metal circuitry in electronic devices, to soft-drink containers, automobile batteries and radiators, aluminium siding, aeroplane parts and more.
The Scrap Metal Supply Chain:
The collection of scrap metal is hierarchical and can start with scrap metal collectors who pick up small quantities of scrap for sale to scrap yards, as well as many other scrap business roles. Community recycling programs, electronics recycling and larger commercial generators of scrap metal also provide other conduits of scrap.