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At Harmon Scrap Metal we purchase metal both from businesses and individuals in the community. Instead of throwing your scrap metal away and often times having to pay for disposal, just for it to end up in the landfill, you could bring it to Harmon Scrap Metal, and get paid. Not only will you be selling things you no longer need for money, but you are also doing your part to contribute to a cleaner, healthier, and greener planet.
Scrap Metal Recycling
If you have never heard this term before, you are not alone - many people are aware of recycling as a general term, but let’s get into the specifics of what scrap metal is, how to recycle it, and why you should be recycling your scrap metal.
What is scrap metal?
The first important step recycling your scrap metal is understanding what it is. Scrap Metal is a general term used to describe any old metal products, or excess manufacturing materials that are no longer useful. Metals products are classified in two major categories: Ferrous and Non-Ferrous. Almost all ferrous products are steel, which is 99% iron and is the most recycled commodity in the world. Non-Ferrous materials are metals that do not contain iron, with aluminum and copper being the most common thus making it nonmagnetic.
How to recycle your scrap metal
Whether you’ve been recycling your scrap metal for years or have never “scrapped” a day in your life, Harmon Scrap Metal is committed to providing you with the best experience. To recycle your scrap metal, the first step is to understand what you have. Different types of material are separated into their own “commodity”. For example, your empty aluminum cans are one commodity, while your old refrigerator or even roofing tin would fit into another. When you know what materials you have, the next step is to separate them into different commodities, and then load them up! This could be putting all of your aluminum cans in a bag, copper pipes in a box, and even loading up an old washing machine. Lastly, and the most exciting part, bring your load into one of our top-notch metal recycling facilities and get paid!
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Why should you recycle your scrap metal?
The most obvious reason to be recycling your scrap metal may be because you get paid to recycle it, instead of having to pay to throw it away. What you might not know though, is just how beneficial it is for the environment when you recycle your metal!
Non-Ferrous materials do not degrade and can be recycled repeatedly, which greatly benefits the Earth since new materials don’t have to be mined. A great example of this is aluminum. When new aluminum products are made from recycled aluminum instead of virgin ore, energy consumption is reduced by 95%. Aluminum cans are amongst the most common recycled aluminum products, and from the time you recycle it, it will be processed and back on the shelf of a grocery store within 60 days!
Ferrous materials are just as important to recycle and play a huge role in reducing the energy consumption and CO2 emissions it would take to produce steel from virgin materials. According to ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries), “The largest single source of obsolete iron and steel in the United States is end-of-life vehicles, providing more than 13 million tons annually. The recycling of steel from automobiles is estimated to save the equivalent energy necessary to power 18 million homes every year. Producing new steel from recycled content requires 60 percent less energy and reduces CO2 emissions by 58 percent compared with producing steel from virgin materials.”
Now that you know a bit more about the ins and outs of scrap metal recycling, we hope you understand just how easy it is, and the benefits it can bring to you and the environment! We pride ourselves in being professionals at what we do and offering excellent service throughout your entire scrapping experience. We are happy to assist you with anything we can when it comes to recycling your scrap metal - whether you’re curious about what kinds of materials we accept, what your material is worth, or even carefully unloading your trailer with our equipment, we do it all! We look forward to being your preferred metal recycling partner.
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