It wasn’t until the early sixties that the idea of recycling metals came to mind. Sam Gershowitz began the idea by pulling cars out of landfills to reclaim the metal parts of those cars. At that time, everybody made fun of Gershowitz. How can it be that he’ll make something of metal scraps from cars? And then in the eighties, the solid waste and recycling industry came together to minimize the amount of metals in landfills.
Today, the metal cutting industry in Utah and other states no longer send their metal scraps to landfills. They partner with recycling centers that recover and reclaim scrap metals. Municipalities support scrap metal processors because they generate revenue from the metallic content of the garbage that would otherwise be thrown in a landfill. It’s a win-win situation because scrap processors are also profiting from this relationship.
You may wonder how you can earn from the metal scraps from your own house, or how you can help with recycling these precious metals. Industries have created policies to make sure that their metal scraps don’t go to waste. You can make your own protocols at home, too, so that you can contribute to metal reclamation and recycling.
Sign up for Curbside Garbage Collection
If you have lots of metal scraps lying in your house, such as old appliances with aluminum and tin materials, you should sign up for a curbside garbage collection program. The recycling service will be part of your monthly bill, but you will also feel better, knowing that you are making ways to reduce the waste that your household generates. You will be taught to recycle paper, soiled food, plastic cans, yard waste, newspaper, cardboard, and many other things.
They will have special handling facilities for scrap metals. There are two main types of scrap metals: ferrous and non-ferrous. Examples of ferrous metals are iron and steel. Non-ferrous metals include tin, aluminum, lead, brass, bronze, zinc, and pewter. In your household, appliances such as gas ranges, microwave oven, refrigerators, and washers contain the most metals.
Drop off Items at a Recycling Center
If you cannot sign up for the curbside recycling program, you can drop off the items at a nearby recycling facility. This is for free. You won’t need to get charged for the service of reclaiming metals from your garbage. In some cases, you may even be paid per gram of metal that they reclaim from your garbage.
Why It’s Important to Reclaim Metal
Throwing away scrap metal in landfills is a waste of resources. Recycling metals are safer for the environment than extracting virgin materials. Imagine the amount of energy that has to be spent on producing metals from virgin materials. It has to be mined, concentrated, and smelted. Recycling aluminum can, for example, can power a television for three hours.
You can contribute in your own way of preserving the environment. The simple act of recycling whatever waste you can find in your home can save resources. Make sure that everyone in your household understands how important recycling is and make recycling a habit.
