Recycling scrap metal has been a profitable venture for the recycling industry. Scrap metal can fetch a fancy price if you know the rates. Before you dispose of metallic material be aware of the price it may fetch. Even a broken discarded computer can contain around $15 worth of metal that can be salvaged. A beat up old car can be worth more as scrap than if you sold it on the market!
Scrap metal is sorted into the major categories – ferrous (steel and iron) and non-ferrous (aluminum, copper, brass, zinc etc.). Steel is one of the most commonly recycled materials. Cans, containers, construction waste, junk cars, containers and appliances are rich sources of steel that can be recycled to gain back the iron. Much of the steel we see around us in the construction business or in automobiles will be recycled and is made of recycled ferrous metals. Mining and processing iron ore to make virgin steel is a laborious and expensive process; it makes economic sense to recycle steel. None of the basic inherent characteristics of steel are lost by the recycling process. Recycling also reduces pollution and emissions and is better for the environment. In 2010 the amount of ferrous scrap that was recycled in the United States was 74 million metric tons, i.e. 55% of the volume of material processed domestically. Ferrous scrap industry in 2010 was valued at $26.4 billion in the US alone. 19 million metric tons of ferrous scrap metal, valued in excess of $8 billion was exported from the US that year.
Cars are presently more than 100% made of recycled steel. The slowdown in the auto industry with the recession saw more recycled steel available for auto manufacture than was required.
Non ferrous scrap recycling is not as big an industry as ferrous recycling. But in dollar terms, the value of recycled non-ferrous metals in 2010 was a whopping $40 billion in the US alone! The high value of non ferrous scrap is generated from the recycling of precious metals and copper, recovered from metal circuitry in digital devices and electronics, radiators and auto batteries, airplane parts etc. Aluminum is another metal that undergoes recycling multiple times without decay. Soft drink cans, automobiles and airplanes are rich sources of this lightweight metal. Non ferrous metals are not readily susceptible to decay and degrade very gradually. The US is a major exporter of all types of ferrous and non ferrous scrap metal. NJ and many other cities have major scrap facilities for sorting and processing scrap.
Scrap Metal NJ – If you are looking to dispose of scrap metal, NJ residents can expect onsite clearance and decent rates from the professionals at American Recycling. Call today.
