Total Guide To Manchester - The environmental benefits of recycling scrap metal

We all know that recycling is good for the planet. But with costs rising and social priorities shifting, the environmental benefits of recycling scrap metal have become especially important in today’s age.

According to 2021 statistics, metal is the second most recycled material in the UK with steel being the most popular nationwide, followed by aluminum and copper. Now think about how many appliances, tins, cans, or even cars are reused for multiple purposes each year.

If you’re wondering how or where most scrap metal accumulated over a period of time by businesses and households alike is thrown away, the answer is simple. Luckily, there are many local scrap yard services out there that collect scrap metal in Altrincham, Warrington, Trafford and across the whole of Manchester in a safe and eco-friendly way.

So, let's look at some environmental benefits of recycling scrap metal.

Conserves natural resources

One of the main environmental benefits of recycling scrap metal is the conservation of natural resources. New metals are currently mined from ore through a process called open pit mining. This often requires the removal of large portions of vegetation, soil, rock, and other materials in order to access the small percentage of metal contained in the resource. These are very limited in supply and will eventually run out. By recycling metals, we can eliminate the need for mining and continue to melt down, mold and re-mold again and again for years to come.

Prevents environmental pollution & contamination

Open pit mines destroy the surrounding environment through deforestation, explosions and drilling which releases large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing environmental contamination to the soil, water and the

air when exposed minerals in rocks are oxidized during this process.To avoid this, recycling scrap metal will effectively help to reduce the level of CO2 emissions and eventually abolish the harmful disposal of electronic waste in landfills, saving our water and underground supplies from toxic leakages via metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium.

Uses less energy

Global environmental experts estimate that by 2035 solar and wind energy will have the potential to meet global electricity demand 100 times over. Scrap metal is an abundant resource requiring little to no new mining; thus, recycling it can help reduce future demands on limited fossil fuel resources, since manufacturing metals requires a significant amount of energy. It also provides thousands of jobs and enables other industries to cut costs in sourcing material or production processes due to increased efficiency too.

As you can see, the economic and environmental value of scrap metal is huge and we should all do our part in protecting our planet for a safer, greener future.