How Is Metal Recycled?
Houses are loaded full of metal, whether it is cans or saucepans plus large pieces in items such as bed frames and TV stands and the metal used in the construction of the building.
If you are looking to get rid of bulkier items during a total home renovation project you will need a skip from Staffordshire Skip Hire.
A lot of household waste can be recycled, but how exactly is metal recycled? We will explore this topic during this blog.
Explaining Metal Recycling
The most common metals found in homes are steel, aluminium and copper. Metal is needed for plenty of applications and luckily all of these common types can be easily recycled.
Steel and aluminium are recycled in much the same manner, with waste collected by a skip hire provider or your local council for smaller bits such as cans.
Each item is then transported to a recycling centre where it is cleaned and processed ready to be delivered to foundries all over the country. Steel is chopped up into smaller bits, whereas aluminium is shredded first as it makes it easier for each material to be melted down.
When the metal has been melted it is forged into ingots, or if it is being used to make new drinks cans it will be put into a machine which thinly spreads it into sheets. Once the material is processed it will be transported to factories that need it and turned into a wide range of different items.
Most people believe their old cans are turned into new ones, but recycled steel and aluminium is used to manufacture a number of items including –
- Cars
- Boats
- Trains
- Pots and Pans
- Aeroplanes
- Household appliances
Copper is used for wiring and piping and needs to be graded before it is recycled. The copper used for piping can be recycled straight away as it does not need to carry an electrical current. It can also be melted down and turned into ingots and sent to manufacturers who need it, much the same as steel and aluminium.
Talk to the Skip Hire Specialists
If you have any more questions about recycling metal, please do not hesitate to contact Staffordshire Skip Hire today.