Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Recycle Your Scrap Metal
There are many excellent reasons to recycle your scrap metal. Here are a few of our favourites:
#1- Conserve Natural Resources
Iron ore is one of our biggest natural resources. The extraction and refining process is very involved and hard on the environment.
- The mining industry relies heavily on fossil fuels in order to run the machinery used to extract and transport ore.
- Areas surrounding mines and pits tend to experience soil erosion.
- Animal habitats become endangered and animals are forced to leave.
- The extraction and processing of ore requires a lot of water and results in large pools of wastewater.
“Recycling extends the efficient use of metals, reduces pressures on landfills and incinerators, and results in major energy savings relative to the level of energy inputs required to produce metals from primary sources.” – The Minerals and Metals Policy of the Government of Canada
#2- Avoid the Landfill
When materials are sent to the landfill they are left, often in the open, to deteriorate over time.
- Materials decompose and can leach hazardous chemicals into the ground and the water.
- Landfills occupy large spaces in our communities. Recycling reduces the speed at which landfills grow.
- Animals that inhabit the landfill are exposed to toxic chemicals, their food becomes contaminated, and they become sick.
- People living near waste sites are often subjected to smells and can be effected by toxins from the air and soil.
“Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your TV for three hours.” – Reynolds Metal Company
#3- Support the Local Economy
When an individual, or a business, recycles their scrap metal they are investing in the local economy.
Recycling supports:
- Local recycling operators (including Moffatt Scrap Iron & Metal Inc.)
- Local recycling processing companies
- Local industries
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value.” – R. Buckminster Fuller
Recycling is not only a responsible choice, but it also sets a positive example for others to follow.
To learn more about what scrap metal you can recycle, or to arrange a pick-up, please contact us.