One of the oldest materials used has definitely got to be metal. This valuable material has had a long and comprehensive history; from tools and weapons it has made its way into the industry. Part of the reason why metal has stayed around for so long is the fact that it has a great reuse value. No matter which processes it goes through, at the end of the day, metal still remains metal. Now this is a double-edged sword when it comes to staying eco-friendly, because it can both be extremely difficult to get rid of but at the same time extremely valuable for salvaging and reusing. This is where powerful machinery such as metal shredders come in. Here are some of the amazing benefits that come from using metal shredders.
Boosting sustainability
Not long ago the value of metal was widely underappreciated, it was always pushed to the side as just one part of the waste collection process. However, more and more businesses who want to be more future-proof and sustainable are recognizing the value of investing more in the process of recycling metal. There is a global effort in terms of creating a more sustainable environment by governments, regulatory bodies, environmental groups and also consumers themselves. One of the easiest industries to blame for the pollution has been the metal industry, but this is precisely where the shift is occurring. With the help of amazing new machinery like metal shredders, it is now possible to shift the problem into a massive potential and a serious long-term investment. Not only will this benefit your company in terms of cutting expenses but it will also strengthen your brand’s image as a strong environmentally-friendly business.
Higher market value
Unlike other materials such as plastic, as of lately, metal has kept an amazing degree of relevance and reuse value, that is why there is a high demand and supply for this material. As the American Foundry Society finds, there would be an increase of 20-40% in the price of casting if no recycled materials were used, and since the supply of metal is a worldwide business, it would also affect the foundries all over the globe. Around 265 million tons of metal were recorded that did not end up in landfills in 2016, which means that recycling metal significantly reduces the environmental impact. In addition, not only will you benefit from waste reduction but it also decreases emissions, and less power is needed for producing brand new metal alloys. Recycling has been shown to require 56% less energy than producing steel from ore, this in turn reduces the carbon dioxide emissions by 58%.
Save energy
Producing new metal from ore uses significantly more energy, and since more energy is used that directly increases the amount of carbon dioxide released. Luckily, most metals can be recycled with very little energy. If that doesn’t sound attractive enough, consider the simple fact that the recycling can be iterated indefinitely, without losing any quality whatsoever. This is a great way to lessen some of that ecologically-threatening stress, but to also thrive financially. No matter how abstract this idea might seem, think of all the metal products around you in your daily life, imagine how many times those products could be recycled and repurposed.
Saving natural habitats
Mining is the number one source of metal production. However, this is a very harmful process as it destroys the natural environment. The destruction of habitats is partly due to the pollution of soil and also local bodies of water. And whatever ends up in water also ends up in most food that we eat. That is why investing in proper metal recycling equipment is key for stopping this vicious cycle.
Stopping toxic leaks
One of the biggest industries where metal is used is definitely the electronics market. Devices of all purposes and sizes use metal in one form or another. If electronic waste is not processed properly, it can cause serious long-term damage. For instance, most devices will contain some kind of battery which contains lead and that toxic substance easily ends up in soil when the device is discarded to a local landfill. Instead, by recycling not only do we avoid this catastrophe, but we also spare energy to produce more useful things such as renewable energy resources and recycling equipment.
Metal is definitely everywhere around us, however this material has had a long history of use. The feature of longevity should and could be leveraged in order to boost sustainability, use the market value of metal to its full extent, save energy, natural habitats and stop poisoning the soil. All of this can be achieved by implementing powerful metal recycling tools such as metal shredders.
