Recycling metal is not just good for your wallet, it’s also great for the environment. Extracting metal takes up a lot of energy and can be a massive pollutant, not to mention it depletes the earth’s natural resources – in order to improve our carbon footprint while making economic sense, investing in scrap metal recycling instead of sending it straight to landfill is the best solution.
Scrap metal can be used in a range of industries and in a variety of applications, which means it can be refashioned into new uses.
Scrap Metal in Vehicles
Recycled metal is a major element of the transport industry, including vehicles. Cars are made up of many different components, including around 75% of metal, a lot of which is recycled. In fact, approximately 25% of car bodies are made from recycled metal, which is used in doors, panels, hood, boot and chassis. Recycled steel is a major element in vehicles; the steel is separated, shredded, melted down and, then, reused, ensuring economic and environmental benefits.
We offer a ‘Scrap My Car’ service at Morecambe Metals, as we’re an authorised treatment facility for the depollution of end-of-life vehicles.
Using Scrap Metals in Home Furnishings
Recycled metal can be used in domestic settings as well. In fact, metal furnishings are typically made from recycled metal, with scrap metal becoming an increasingly popular option. From chairs made from car parts to coffee tables made from clock faces, there are no limits to how metal can be repurposed for the home. A house’s roofing can also be made from recycled metal, which means this is an incredibly versatile material with a variety of domestic applications.
What’s more, by investing in recycled steel, for instance, it’s possible to reduce air pollution by 86%, water pollution by 76% and water usage by 40% – repurposing metal into furniture, therefore, is eco-friendly and can help to keep it from ending up in landfill.
Packaging Uses Recycled Metal
Food packaging is often made from recycled metal as well, especially aluminium and steel, which can be recycled over and over again without losing their properties. Nowadays, many canned goods have some percentage of recycled metal, which also helps to protect the planet. For example, recycling aluminium uses less energy and emits fewer greenhouse emissions than creating new aluminium from raw materials. While the UK produces 9.591 billion cans every year, the recycling rate for aluminium drink cans rose to 72% in the UK in 2017.
Art and Recycled Scrap Metal
Another popular use for recycled metal is artwork. Many pieces are made from recycled scrap metal, which allows people to be creative; from life-size sculptures to decorative wall pieces, recycled metal can be used to decorate a home or commercial space with ease. This means that scrap metal can be given a new life after reaching the end of their functional lifetime. With over 10 million tonnes of metal recycled every year just in the UK alone, there is plenty of artistic material to work with.
Scrap Metal Can Help to Improve Materials
An application of scrap metal that not everyone may consider is that recycled scrap metal can be used to create higher quality materials and tools. Stainless steel is a great example of this; this alloy contains steel and other metals, such as carbon and chromium, and offers increased strength and resistance to corrosion – this makes stainless steel a fantastic choice for high-stress settings and environments with adverse weather conditions.
All of this means that recycled metal can be used to create better materials that can be found everywhere around us (from buildings to railways), instead of having to create them from scratch.
An issue with recycling car parts, mainly metals, when they have reached the end of their life, is that the scrap metal can be contaminated with other materials, preventing it from being recycled. In order to avoid this, it’s vital to use a professional scrap metal buying company which specialises in scrap metal recycling. At Morecambe Metals, we’re always happy to discuss your needs with you, whether you wish to scrap your car or require industrial dismantling, so get in touch today to learn more about what we can do for you.