Global Recycling Day is approaching, and we want to help you do your bit for the environment by becoming #RecyclingHeroes. On the 18th of March 2024, the Global Recycling Foundation is marking the 7th annual Global Recycling Day, so we’ve put together some facts as to why you should reduce your waste, reuse items and recycle your metal!
Metal Recycling facts
1. Metal is 100% recyclable! Both steel and aluminium can be recycled repeatedly forever, without changing the strength and integrity of the metal.
2. You can be paid for recycling your metal! If you bring your scrap metal to somewhere like Singleton’s, you can get the money in your bank and know you’re helping the environment.
3. The value of metal changes regularly. The demand for metals like aluminium fluctuates often and we saw the price skyrocket after the pandemic. Keep an eye on prices to get the best deals when you sell your scrap.
4. Recycling one tonne of steel at Singleton’s can save one and a half tonnes of iron ore from being mined. Recycling steel also uses 70% less energy as steel is a man-made metal, so recycling steel is far better for the environment.
5. Your old mobile phone could be turned into an Olympic medal! The 2020 Tokyo Olympic medals were made from recycled electronic waste.
6. Around 80% of rubbish we throw away could be recycled! Recycling metal gives off 80% less CO2 than producing new metal from raw materials, helping the environment and cutting CO2 emissions. Check if your waste products – especially those with metal components – could be recycled instead!
7. Recycling Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE, is a legal requirement! Electrical waste contains precious metals as well as harmful batteries, so it’s really important you recycle all your electronics when they’ve reached the end of their lifespan.
8. Recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy it would take to make a brand new can from raw materials. Recycling just one can every day for a week could save enough energy to power a lightbulb for a full day!
9. Lithium is used for electric car and e-scooter batteries, but is so rare it is only found in small quantities in the Earth’s crust!
10. You can turn scrap metal into art! If you’re feeling crafty and have a lot of metal lying around, you could create and sell your work. For example, this artist uses scrap metal to create larger than life sculptures. It sells for much more than it would as scrap, but there’s a lot more work involved than just driving it down to Singleton’s…
We accept and recycle various types of metals, from copper wire to cars. Here at Singleton’s we are members of the British Metals Recycling Association – we’re here to help you do your bit and recycle your scrap metals! Call us on 0161 220 8058 or pop to the scrapyard today.
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