Metal Recycling Facts

Recycling of metals is being encouraged worldwide for ensuring sustainability and
minimizing wastage. It is not just industrial metals but also household metals that are highly
suitable for efficient recycling. Here are some facts related to the recycling of metals.

Most recycled metal

Steel is one of the most recycled materials in North America. More than 69 percent of steel is
recycled there. In a year over 80 million tons of steel are recycled. Steel is a metal which can
be recycled repeatedly without deterioration of its strength.
(https://www.steel.org/~/media/Files/AISI/Fact%20Sheets/50_Fun_Facts_About_Steel.pdf).

Saving energy with metal recycling

Recycling aluminium takes around 5% of the energy that is required in its virgin production.
Since aluminium takes as long as 200 years to break down and decompose, it can be recycled
over and over again with no loss of properties Moreover, the process of aluminium recycling
is far less time consuming and thus, energy saving.
(http://www.alfed.org.uk/files/Fact%20sheets/5-aluminium-recycling.pdf)
(http://www.world-aluminium.org/media/filer_public/2013/01/15/fl0000181.pdf).

Benefiting the economy through metal recycling

Recycling scrap metal is a significant industry in countries like the USA, where it earned a
total revenue of $29 billion in 2018-19 and employs around 24,698 people
(https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-
reports/technology/clean-technologies/scrap-metal-recycling.html). The recycling industry of
the US is worth $117 billion, and it recycles over 130 million tons of scrap metals annually
(https://www.isri.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2018-04-26-rw---cisa-
camu-remarks-docx.pdf?sfvrsn=2&sfvrsn=2).

Lowering carbon emission by metal recycling

Production of metal is a major contributing factor towards increasing carbon emission in the
atmosphere. As recycling of metals consumes less energy, it emits less carbon to the air and
thus helps reduce global warming.

Conserving resources for future

Metal recycling allows more resource availability for future generation. When a ton of steel is
recycled, it saves 2500 pounds of iron ore, 120 pounds of limestone and 1400 pounds of coal
(https://www.steel.org/~/media/Files/AISI/Fact%20Sheets/50_Fun_Facts_About_Steel.pdf).