WHAT IS RECYCLABLE

Iron and steel make up the largest group of materials being recycled, with other man-made materials such as plastics, glass, paper, other metals, and rubber growing in number. Mining and processing of virgin ores depletes the finite natural resources. This process is very expensive and hard on our environment. Over the years, technology has been developed, and continues to develop, allowing scrap metals to be re-melted, shaped, and processed into entirely new products. Iron and steel have the benefit of being magnetic, which contributes significantly to a cost-effective process in handling, sorting and cleaning it.

MATERIALS RECYCLED IN THE US EACH YEAR

Iron & Steel – 70.0 million tons

Aluminum – 4.1 million tons

Copper – 1.5 million tons

Paper – 60.0 million tons

Glass – 3.5 million tons