According to EPA estimates, only about 35% of Americans recycle, and most of that is paper. However, paper isn’t the only material that can be recycled. Recycling metal, whether aluminum cans, copper pipes, or scrap steel, benefits both the environment and the economy. Metal recycling is just as easy paper recycling. Before you toss that empty soda can into the trash, consider the following advantages.

4 Benefits of Metal Recycling 

1. Reduce Landfill Waste

In the United States, space for constructing new landfills is becoming scarce, and existing landfills are filling up to capacity. By bringing scrap steel and other metals to a metal recycling center, you save space in landfills for nonrecyclables, instead of filling them with resources that can be reused. 

2. Reduce Mining

Much of the metal in consumer products comes from mining. Metals are not only not renewable but also are mined. Mining operations are detrimental to the environment, destroying delicate ecosystems and polluting the air, soil, and water. But metals can be recycled. They can be repeatedly melted down and reformed into new products without losing quality or strength. 

3. Protect the Environment

Besides reducing the need to mine for metals, minerals, and ores, metal recycling has additional environmental benefits. Recycling metal requires a fraction of the energy as mining. Less energy consumption reduces the release of greenhouse gasses, and keeping metal out of landfills restricts contamination of soil and water at landfill sites. 

4. Support the Economy

The scrap metal industry employs tens of thousands of people in the United States. Recycled metal also costs less than new metal, allowing manufacturers to produce at lower price points. Consumers can earn income by recycling as well. Copper scrap, for instance, is worth almost as much new copper, and resources like aluminum and steel are also in high demand.

If you have scrap metal to recycle, Byer Steel, which has been serving the Cincinnati area since 1937, can help. Retail clients can conveniently drive through their clean, well-maintained facility and receive immediate payment for their brass, aluminum, steel, and copper. To learn more about their metal recycling services, visit their website, or call (513) 948-0300 to speak to a customer service representative.