Why Recycle Scrap Metal?
If you have ever driven past a demolition site, you may have noticed the extreme amount of structural junk lying around. It's enough to make you wonder where its all going. Hopefully, it does not end up in the ground or in the bay like most of our trash does. If we are lucky, someone will take the time to sort out all the metal and recycle it. But you may be asking yourself, "Why recycle scrap metal?"
There are several reasons why one would – and should – recycle scrap metal: it helps the environment, reduces energy consumption, preserves natural resources, and can be a lucrative source of income! Lets take a closer look at the benefits of Houston scrap metal recycling.
Helping the Environment
Generally, trash is taken to a landfill, where it sits with other trash waiting to be broken down by the ravages of time. Metal takes a while to break down and usually, when it does, it contaminates its surroundings. Many landfills do not have the proper lining to retain contaminants. The result is that trash – in this case metal – contaminates the surrounding areas.
Metal scrap can become particularly dangerous for the surrounding habitat if it contaminates a water source. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cites that short term exposure to water containing copper can cause gastrointestinal distress and liver or kidney damage in the long term. Consuming water containing lead causes delays in physical or mental development in children, resulting in slight deficits in attention span and learning abilities. Lead can also cause kidney problems and high blood pressure in adults. If metals can have these effects on humans, imagine what the effects are on plant life and smaller organisms!!
Reducing Energy & Natural Resource Consumption
Forming metal from virgin ore requires a good deal of energy. Melting metal down on the other hand requires significantly less energy. Saving energy benefits the environment in two major ways: Not only do we save fossil fuels by choosing energy-reducing metal recycling, we also help combat global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
We must also remember that every chunk of metal scrap we recycle is a virgin ore we save. By recycling scrap metal, we are really conserving heavy metals for future generations.
Get Paid to Recycle Scrap Metal
The most salient motivation for recycling scrap metal is the financial incentive. There are two ways to go about making money off of your metal scrap.
First, you can sell your scrap metal to a scrap buyer, who then turns around and sells the scrap to a recycling facility. The downside to this method is that buyers will oftentimes buy scrap at lower prices than they recycling facilities because they only profit from the difference.
The second way to profit from scrap metal is to sell it directly to the recycler. It is important to search for a recycler that gives you both good service and offers you the highest prices. A quality recycler will pick up your scarp form at the job site pay you in cash on the second they finish weighing it all out.
Gulf Coast Scrap Metal, a Houston scrap metal recycling service, guarantees the highest prices in the area and offers free pick up service. If you are looking to recycle scrap metal, please call 713-868-4111 or visit https://www.gulfcoastscrapmetal.com.