When cleaning and decluttering, most homeowners find it challenging to get rid of metal items. This is especially true for things that are too large to fit into the curbside trash bin. When they’re sure selling or donating isn’t an option, people often dump scrap metals and old household appliances in landfills that accumulate as e-waste and cause environmental damage over time.

While almost every scrap metal that ends up in the waste stream is recyclable, only 30% of the metals make it to recycling, according to an estimate by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). This is an alarming figure considering that we generate billions of tons of scrap metal waste yearly from junk, trash, and other products that use metal as raw material.

Lessons

As a society that promotes sustainability, people who have awareness are enthusiastic about recycling newspapers, bottles, cans, and other smaller items. A large chunk of the population doesn’t realize that all the junk metal can also be recycled.

Researchers reveal that most adults don’t know what to recycle and how to dispose of metal debris. Scrap metal removal and recycling is also a fairly dangerous and challenging task if you’re thinking of DIY-ing it.

Facts

• Recycling one aluminum tin or can saves energy to run a TV for 4 hours, whereas recycling eight can make an average 60-watt bulb light for 24 hours!
• Americans use enough steel to run a pipeline from LA to NY and back again in a single day.
• Every month, Americans throw away enough aluminum to rebuild an entire commercial air fleet.
• Nearly 45% of global steel production is made from recycled steel, making steel and iron the most recycled materials in the world.
• Metal cans can stick around in landfills for decades. While it’s less hazardous than plastic, it can take more than 50 years for a can to decompose if it’s made of steel and 200 years if it’s an aluminum can. In contrast, recycling takes as little as 50 days!

Types Of Metals That Can Be Recycled

• Brass                          
• Aluminum
• Bronze
• Iron
• Copper
• Tin
• Steel

Advice

Most metals can be recycled countless times without any alterations in their properties. It’s a lesser-known fact that large appliances can be dismantled, and once hazardous components have been removed, the reusable parts can be salvaged by professionals.

Grizzly Junk Removal & Hauling is a professional appliance removal company that provides eco-friendly, cost-effective, and reliable junk removal services in Orange County. Our licensed and skilled junk hauling experts have state-of-the-art equipment and tools needed to safely remove any scrap metal from your workplace, home, or construction site, without the risk of injury or property damage.

Connect with us at 714 309 0201 and schedule a pick-up for commercial junk hauling, small demolition or post-construction cleanup, furniture removal, bulk garbage removal, and other services to suit your needs.