The city of Phoenix is changing fast. By population, it’s become the 5th largest city in the United States. We see endless construction projects in the works, the tech industry booming, and commercial and industrial real estate projects spanning across Maricopa County. But what does this mean for recycling? These development projects can be great for the economy, but can also create a lot of waste. This waste can easily get tossed into landfills if not planned out correctly. We’ve compiled a list of easily recyclable items that are not only a great choice for the planet but can be quite lucrative for you or your business to recycle.
Sources of Copper Scrap for Recycling
Copper – Copper is 100 percent recyclable and according to the Copper Development Association, the recycling rate is higher than any other engineering metal. Not including wire production, almost 75% of copper in the U.S. comes from recycled copper scrap. Copper can be found in waste from:
- Piping
- Electrical Wires
- Tubing
- Construction materials
- Machinery
- Telecommunication
- Power transmission
Recycling Steel Scrap Metal
Steel – We recycle around 80 million tons of steel each year in North America which is more than the weight of all of the cars in the state of California combined. Steel is the most recycled material in the world. Steel scrap metal is commonly created in manufacturing or construction materials such as:
- Automobiles (Phoenix is testing out driverless cars right now)
- Commercial buildings
- Small and large appliances
- Construction materials
- Paint cans
- Aerosol cans
- Can also be found in bridges and pipelines too
Aluminum Scrap Metal Sources
Aluminum – Aluminum can be recycled an endless amount of times with no loss of material, making it a very sustainable metal. Recycling aluminum saves between 90% to 95% of the energy needed to make it from raw ore. Your business can collect and recycle aluminum scrap metal such as:
- Cans
- Window and door frames
- Kitchen utensils
- Door frames and screens
- Storm windows
- Airplanes
Iron Scrap Metal
Iron – Ferrous metals contain iron. Ferrous metals include steel, alloy steel, carbon steel, wrought iron, and cast iron. Non-ferrous metals include lead, zinc, aluminum, copper, and tin. On average, by weight, the United States processes enough ferrous scrap daily to build 25 Eiffel Towers every day of the year. Phoenix construction and manufacturing businesses can recycle iron scrap from:
- Gates and fencing
- Kitchen pots and pans
- Tools
- Office furnishings
- Commercial structures and manufacturing plants
- Piping
- Auto parts
So just take a look around your manufacturing or industrial business and see what metals you can recycle. If creating products that contain any of these metals, try to always source recycled materials first. Your customers, team and the planet will thank you for it!
Learn more about recycling industrial scrap metal
- https://sciencing.com/advantages-recycling-copper-6319076.html
- https://naparecycling.com/steel-the-most-recycled-material-in-the-world/
- https://www.treehugger.com/the-benefits-of-aluminum-recycling-1204138
- https://www.steel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Steel-Sustains-in-Recyclability-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Interested in a custom scrap metal recycling program for your phoenix area business?
Contact Consolidated Resources Inc. today and one of our friendly scrap metal recycling experts will be happy to discuss the needs of your business and the best way to maximize the value of your scrap metal!
