Top Five Uses for Scrap Metal

Recycling is entering more and more peoples’ vocabularies nowadays. Climate change is becoming an imminent threat. Due to this, organizations and individuals are advocating for better waste management practices. Toronto is investing more resources to streamline the recycling process for its residents.

Metals are some of the essential materials to recycle. They are a finite resource, and mining them costs a lot of time and resources. In 2018, 10.5 million tons of steel ended up in landfills.

Metals can have long lives and serve a lot of different uses. Recycling maximizes their potential and helps minimize unnecessary waste. Here are a few of them.

1. Manufacturing

Companies often use scrap or recycled metals in different areas of manufacturing. You can find recycled metals in appliances, vehicle parts, aircraft, and plumbing.

Different industries also use scrap metals for solid industrial containers. Despite undergoing many processes, metal still retains much of its strength after recycling.

2. Packaging

Aluminum and steel are the most popular metals recycled for packaging purposes. They often end up as cans for food and beverages.

Metal packaging is in high demand, especially for food and drinks. Aluminum is especially preferable since it doesn’t deteriorate in quality upon recycling.

Recycling metals for packaging is quick, reliable, and efficient. Used aluminum cans can reach store shelves as new, recycled cans in as little as sixty days. Making new cans from recycled aluminum also saves 95% of the energy it would take to produce cans from ore.

3. Construction

Both commercial and residential construction and renovations make regular use of scrap metals. Steel and iron are very durable and can withstand several rounds of recycling.

Contractors often use recycled metal for plumbing, beams, rebar manufacturing, windows, and roofing. Builders can even use recycled metals to reinforce bridges or projects of all sizes. Recycled metals are often just as strong as they were when they were new.

The industry itself can produce a lot of waste, metals included. This usually occurs in renovations, demolitions, and teardowns. It only makes sense to recycle some or most of this waste instead of leaving them to landfills.

4. Home Furnishings

Metals are malleable materials, and people can shape them for whatever purpose needed. Recycled scrap metals can also fit in with home interior designs and functions.

Artisans can use scrap metal to produce furniture, light fixtures, and home storage. Lamps, lockers, tables, chairs, and benches can all come from scrap metal. Contrary to popular belief, recycled metals can also be beautiful as they are durable.

5. Art

Artists can see beauty in a lot of things that most consider unsalvageable. This includes scrap metal and other waste materials. A lot of artists, especially sculptors, have chosen to work with scrap metal in particular.

Artists also imbue meaning into their work. Under an artist’s hand, scrap metals turn into objects with aesthetic and social value. Thus, they turn these once-discarded objects into expressive and unique pieces.

Some notable examples of scrap metal art are those by John Lopez and Karen Cusolito. They have managed to use individual metal scraps to tell their unique stories.

Final Words

Metal can be strong, beautiful, and valuable. We have an environmental crisis at hand. Thus, it is becoming more important to treasure our resources. Recycling is not only more efficient, but it can help us live better lives on earth.

If you have any scrap metals at home, you can arrange for a scrap metal pickup in Toronto. You won’t only be cleaning up your home. You’d also jumpstart a scrap metal recycling process of your own.

Image source: unsplash.com

Recycling is entering more and more peoples’ vocabularies nowadays. Climate change is becoming an imminent threat. Due to this, organizations and individuals are advocating for better waste management practices. Toronto is investing more resources to streamline the recycling process for its residents.

Metals are some of the essential materials to recycle. They are a finite resource, and mining them costs a lot of time and resources. In 2018, 10.5 million tons of steel ended up in landfills.

Metals can have long lives and serve a lot of different uses. Recycling maximizes their potential and helps minimize unnecessary waste. Here are a few of them.

1. Manufacturing

Companies often use scrap or recycled metals in different areas of manufacturing. You can find recycled metals in appliances, vehicle parts, aircraft, and plumbing.

Different industries also use scrap metals for solid industrial containers. Despite undergoing many processes, metal still retains much of its strength after recycling.

2. Packaging

Aluminum and steel are the most popular metals recycled for packaging purposes. They often end up as cans for food and beverages.

Metal packaging is in high demand, especially for food and drinks. Aluminum is especially preferable since it doesn’t deteriorate in quality upon recycling.

Recycling metals for packaging is quick, reliable, and efficient. Used aluminum cans can reach store shelves as new, recycled cans in as little as sixty days. Making new cans from recycled aluminum also saves 95% of the energy it would take to produce cans from ore.

3. Construction

Both commercial and residential construction and renovations make regular use of scrap metals. Steel and iron are very durable and can withstand several rounds of recycling.

Contractors often use recycled metal for plumbing, beams, rebar manufacturing, windows, and roofing. Builders can even use recycled metals to reinforce bridges or projects of all sizes. Recycled metals are often just as strong as they were when they were new.

The industry itself can produce a lot of waste, metals included. This usually occurs in renovations, demolitions, and teardowns. It only makes sense to recycle some or most of this waste instead of leaving them to landfills.

4. Home Furnishings

Metals are malleable materials, and people can shape them for whatever purpose needed. Recycled scrap metals can also fit in with home interior designs and functions.

Artisans can use scrap metal to produce furniture, light fixtures, and home storage. Lamps, lockers, tables, chairs, and benches can all come from scrap metal. Contrary to popular belief, recycled metals can also be beautiful as they are durable.

5. Art

Artists can see beauty in a lot of things that most consider unsalvageable. This includes scrap metal and other waste materials. A lot of artists, especially sculptors, have chosen to work with scrap metal in particular.

Artists also imbue meaning into their work. Under an artist’s hand, scrap metals turn into objects with aesthetic and social value. Thus, they turn these once-discarded objects into expressive and unique pieces.

Some notable examples of scrap metal art are those by John Lopez and Karen Cusolito. They have managed to use individual metal scraps to tell their unique stories.

Final Words

Metal can be strong, beautiful, and valuable. We have an environmental crisis at hand. Thus, it is becoming more important to treasure our resources. Recycling is not only more efficient, but it can help us live better lives on earth.

If you have any scrap metals at home, you can arrange for a scrap metal pickup in Toronto. You won’t only be cleaning up your home. You’d also jumpstart a scrap metal recycling process of your own.