One of the most commonly recycled items is scrap metal. What many people don’t realize is that scrap metal pick up is not only meant for businesses and construction sites but can also be used at residences.
In order to understand why you will first need to consider what scrap metal actually is. It is the recyclable metal that you can find on manufactured products and includes copper, steel, brass, and iron.
If you’re wondering where you can find these in your home and why scrap metal picks up can be appropriate for you, consider these common household items:
- Kitchen appliances
- Electronics like computers and televisions
- Air-conditioners
- Doors, lamps, etc.
- Electric appliances like washers, dryers, etc.
- Iron patio furniture
- Paint cans, nails, old power tools, etc.
- Old bicycles and cars
All of these items can easily be recycled for scrap metal. If any of your appliances contain copper wiring, this can also be considered scrap metal.
However, a lot of people are hesitant to employ a professional for scrap metal pick up service, as opposed to simply throwing away these items in the trash when it is time to get rid of them. This is because they don’t always understand what the scrap metal recycling process involves.
There are several steps involved in the scrap metal recycling process. These include:
Collection and Sorting
It is at this step that scraps metal pick-up is especially important. Often, if trash is thrown away altogether, someone will have to sort through it to collect all the items that can be used for scrap metal. If you call for specialized scrap metal pick up, on the other hand, this step can go a lot faster.
Once the metals are collected, they must be sorted. This involves separating recyclable metals from non-recyclable ones. It also often involves separating them into piles of different metals. This is important, as the cost of metal changes based on type.
Shearing
Some items may be too big for a recycling center to handle. The metal must first be cut to get around this problem. This ensures that its size is sheared and reduced.
Shredding
Shredding machines leave waste materials in a fist-sized lump.
Hot Air Blasting
Many metals are coated with lacquer during the production process. However, this lacquer cannot be recycled. Thus, it must be burned off by blasting hot air.
Making and Purifying Molten Metal
During this process, the metal is exposed to high temperatures. This results in it turning into a molten solution. This is then tested to check the purity of the solution. During the process, other metals or gases may be added. This will change the purity of the metal or create alloys that can be used for other items.
Shaping
Here, the molten metal is poured into the desired shape (often with the help of molds) and formed into rods, billets, slabs, or ingots, depending on the final purpose of the metal. Sometimes, it is also made into a powder or transported in its liquid state to a manufacturing facility, where it can be made into new items.
Final Thoughts
Recycling scrap metal is an important part of making sure that landfills are as empty as possible. The fuller a landfill is, the worse it is for the environment, and recycling scrap metal helps mitigate this risk.
In order to make the recycling process easier and faster, it is always better to schedule a scrap metal pick up for your old appliances instead of tossing them in the trash.
If you would like to schedule one for your residence in Springfield, MO, contact The Junk Pirates at (417) 815-5865. We’ll get you started with a quick quote and help you understand what the process of a pick up will entail.
