The Environmental Benefits of Recycling Scrap Metal

If you’ve ever dropped off a pile of scrap metal at a recycling center, you know metal recycling is great for your wallet. But did you know that scrap metal recycling is even better for the environment? Don’t get us wrong, recycling scrap metal in Tucson to earn extra cash is a good enough reason to participate in this worthwhile cause, but you might be interested to learn how your efforts are contributing to a greener and cleaner future for all. Here’s a closer look at some of the incredible environmental benefits of scrap metal recycling.

Conserves Natural Resources

Certain metals can be recycled almost indefinitely, which means it takes fewer resources to create the metal products we use every day. According to some estimates, recycling one ton of steel conserves approximately 2,500 pounds of iron ore and 1,400 pounds of coal. Not only does this conserve many of our planet’s most precious non-renewable resources, but it also helps lower emissions resulting from the extraction and processing of virgin metal ore.

Saves Energy

Mining produces a number of environmental hazards, including groundwater pollution and poisonous runoff. Mining also requires tremendous amounts of energy. Fortunately, scrap metal recycling also has the benefit of reducing the amount of energy required to manufacture many of our everyday metal products. Metal recycling saves up to 92% of the energy required to mine and process aluminum, and up to 90% of the energy used for copper. The energy saved by scrap metal recycling not only reduced greenhouse emissions, but also allows our country’s energy resources to be reallocated to more worthwhile endeavors, like transportation.

Tucson Iron & Metal is proud to provide scrap metal for residents in Southern Arizona. We are one of the largest metal recycling facilities in Tucson, and we guarantee the most competitive pricing for your scrap metal. Call us at (520) 884-1554 to schedule pickup of your scrap metal or to learn about our current metal recycling rates.