Everyone is familiar with the reduce-reuse-recycle movement that encourages people to recycle their paper, plastic and glass – but what about metals? Some metals aren’t recyclable due to their elemental makeup or contact with caustic chemicals. Some metals however, such as stainless steel, are able to be recycled indefinitely.
Stainless steel is one of the most commonly used building and manufacturing materials for a few reasons. Its long life, durability, versatility and corrosion resistance are what makes it so appealing to builders and manufacturers. Another commonly overlooked characteristic of stainless steel is its environmentally sustainable and recyclable properties which allow the metal to be continuously recycled and reused for a wide range of products and machinery. According to the World Stainless Organisation, 60% of all new stainless steel comes from recycled materials. Due to the increased demand, stainless steel recycling is growing in popularity worldwide.
Stainless steel can be found in household appliances, cooking equipment, machinery and various electrical components. There are many different grades of stainless steel, made from a combination of different elements, all engineered specifically to serve a certain application. Among these are iron, nickel, molybdenum, and chromium, which gives stainless steel its classic shiny finish. When stainless steel is recycled and broken down, these elements can be extracted and returned to their original form to be recycled into another material again and again.
General steel recycling is economical as it is, but when it comes to stainless steel recycling, the environmental benefits and economic viability become amplified due to the reclaim and preservation of valuable alloys metals incorporated in stainless steel.
Benefits of Recycling Stainless Steel
Environmental Sustainability
In 2022, environmental sustainability is becoming everyone’s responsibility. Companies and organisations are working harder to incorporate environmentally conscious practices into their workplaces. Without investing time, money or effort, recycling your stainless steel grants several environmental benefits.
The high demand of stainless steel is putting pressure on the mining sector to work harder and produce more raw materials than ever before. These raw metals are non-renewable and once extracted from the Earth cannot be replenished, whilst polluting large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during the mining process.
Earn Revenue
Stainless steel recycling is not only beneficial for the environment, but can also earn additional revenue for companies in the manufacturing, removalist and construction sectors. This is one of the most significant benefits stainless steel recycling can offer your business. Rather than spending money to have your scrap metal removed off-site, you can recycle your no longer needed metal and earn a decent amount of money depending on the grade and amount of stainless steel you have.
Not only can your scrap stainless steel be recycled for cash, but so can many other scrap metals leftover on construction sites and in manufacturing workshops. Check out this article for more information on how metal recycling can help your business.
Got scrap stainless steel lying around? Here at Allied Metal Recyclers, you can count on us to have your scrap removed from your site and converted to cash in a quick and easy manner. Contact us now for a free quote!
