If you work in construction or demolition, you’re used to having lots of surplus scrap metal. Rather than just tossing unusable scrap in a landfill, consider recycling it. Read on to learn more about Construction & Demolition Recycling in Atlanta: how to do it right, what you can recycle, and the benefits of recycling over a landfill.
The Right Way to Recycle
Commercial recycling is a bit different than your curbside recycling pick-up. For one thing, commercial recycling focuses on industry. Commercial recyclers deal in large-scale bulk recycling from contractors, construction and demolition companies, auto shops, and manufacturing. Second, commercial recycling mostly targets metal. Scrap metal, no matter the source, is both easy to recycle and can be valuable.
Some commercial recycling facilities do take all construction and demolition, also known as C&D, materials. These materials are often heavy and bulky. They include but are not limited to concrete, bricks, glass, plastic, and salvaged building components. Still, other facilities are only interested in metal recycling.
Most commercial recycling companies provide gondolas or roll-away containers at a job site. At the end of the project, they will collect their container and weigh the contents to determine the worth. How much you get paid will vary based on the daily exchange rate and the metal’s quality and purity.
What Metals Can I Recycle?
There are two kinds of metal: ferrous and non-ferrous. For recycling purposes, all you need to know is that ferrous metals contain iron and non-ferrous metals do not. Alloy and carbon steel and cast and wrought iron are ferrous metals. They are known for being incredibly strong and durable, but they do rust easily. Non-ferrous metals include aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, tin, and precious metals like gold and silver. They are highly malleable, and since they have no iron content, they are at reduced risk of rust and corrosion.
Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals are recyclable. However, if you plan on selling your metal to a recycling company, you’ll want to make sure to separate the two simply for monetary reasons.
What Are the Benefits of Recycling?
The benefits of recycling are tremendous. Forget about the monetary benefit to you for a minute. Recycling takes an incredible burden off of the mining and manufacturing industries and dramatically improves the environment.
To start, recycling saves natural resources. Recycled aluminum requires 95% less energy to produce than if a mining company processed it from virgin ore. Copper consumes 90% less power and steel 56% less. Aluminum can be recycled into itself again and again with no change to its strength or durability. In fact, almost 75% of the aluminum ever produced is still in use today.
Steel is also heavily recycled - 69% of all steel in the US gets recycled. Each recycled ton of steel saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone. Over 95% of the water used in steel production is recycled, and the US steel industry has reduced energy usage by 60% since WWII. This conservation measure has led to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions and a 90% reduction in air and water emissions over ten years.
Final Thoughts
Construction and demolition materials are bulky, messy, and sometimes difficult to handle. Instead of loading the trash and our landfills with this waste, consider recycling them. Many kinds of metal are highly sought-after materials for recycling. Besides the fact that you can get paid for your scrap metal, recycling has a radical effect on environmental health. So don’t be so quick to toss your scrap, recycle it instead!
