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Galvanized Steel

Importance of Recycling Steel and Other Metals: 3 Things to Remember

By April 25, 2017December 16th, 20213 Comments

For every ton of steel that’s recovered and recycled, roughly 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone are also fully conserved. Recycling steel products like stainless steel strapping can not only help preserve the environment, but it can directly impact various industries as well. Scrap metal can be used to manufacture essential tools, large construction equipment and machinery, galvanized steel basing, and structural beams for architectural purposes.

Here are some important things you should remember when recycling scrap metal.

You can make a few bucks
Taking scrap metal to metal yards across the U.S can result in both helping the environment and earning some extra side cash in the process. Construction corporations visit scrap yards frequently to purchase significant amounts of recycled metals to use for steel beams, wiring, or metal fixtures. Don’t just throw out any extra metal that you have — make some extra money instead and recycle your metal.

Builders and business owners with a considerable amount of scrap material have an even bigger opportunity.

Use a magnet to tell what kind of metal you have
To determine whether you have a ferrous or non-ferrous metal, simply place a handheld magnet on the base of the metal. If the magnet sticks to your metal, then you have a ferrous metal like steel or iron on your hands, which can be recycled for various uses. If the magnet doesn’t stick, however, you have a non-ferrous metal, which is usually much more valuable to a scrap yard. Some recyclable non ferrous metals include copper, aluminum (and aluminium siding), and lead.

Be sure to separate your metals before you scrap them
Just like you would separate glass from plastic, don’t just visit the scrap yard with a truck full of different types of metals. Doing this will not only be a pain for you, but it’s going to make things tough for the employees working at the scrap yard. This might cause some serious problems that result in you not getting as much money in return. Separate each type of metal before your trip and keep them organized so you know exactly what you’re going to get in return.

Even galvanized steel, with its strong coating of zinc used to prevent corrosion, can be easily recycled. If you want to learn more about galvanized steel or the recycling process, contact Independent Metal Strap today.

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3 Comments

  • Braden Bills says:

    I had my old copper pipes replaced, but now I’m not sure what to do with the pipes. It’s good to know that you can make a bit of cash by recycling metal like this! I’ll be sure to take it to a specialist to see if they can recycle it for me.

  • it is interesting that you can earn some cash from talking scrap metal to recycling services. My grandpa has a lot of scrap metal leftover in his workshop that he doesn’t know what to do with. I will recommend that he take it to a reliable recycling center so he can make some extra money on the side.

  • Olivia Smart says:

    Thank you for explaining that you can use a magnet to help you figure out what kind of metal you have. I’ve been wondering how to classify the different metals we’ve been finding before recycling them. I never thought that it could be as simple as using a magnet.

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