Have you ever looked around and wondered what to do with all of your scrap metal? Or how much it could be worth? Nearly every kind of metal used in the manufacturing and construction industries can be recycled, yet most of it ends up in landfills or illegally dumped.
Recycling has become a more common practice in recent years, though people mainly talk about recycling plastic or paper or glass. What about metal? Chances are you’re familiar with aluminium recycling, but what about the others? One metal commonly found in households that can be recycled just as well as aluminium is brass. From door locks to light fittings to letter boxes, brass goes into manufacturing many products resulting in a lot of scrap brass being produced in the process.
Brass is a non-ferrous metal made mainly of copper and zinc. Non-ferrous means that the metal doesn’t have any iron in it, unlike metals such as steel. Brass is characterised as being strong, malleable, corrosion resistant and excellent at conducting electricity. Due to its characteristics, brass is used to manufacture a wide range of products:
- Musical instruments (trumpets, tubas, trombones, euphoniums)
- Watches
- Zippers
- Compasses
- Plumbing fixtures (taps, drains, sinks)
- Door handles and locks
- Mail boxes
- Machinery (pumps, engines, radiators)
Now that you know a little more about what brass is and why it’s important for so many machines and tools in society, here’s a look into how recycling the metal can provide even more benefits.
Save resources
Due to the growing population, each year more and more people are buying and using brass products. Both copper and zinc, the metals used to create brass, are non-renewable naturally occurring resources that take a considerable amount of time, money and effort to be mined from the earth. As these minerals are non-renewable, once they’re used up, there’s no way to replenish the source. According to Statistica, in 2020, Australia produced 884.9 thousand metric tons of copper, half of which was then funnelled into the brass industry.
Recycling scrap brass means that the brass currently mined stays in circulation, taking pressure off the mining industry.
Protect the environment
One of the advantages of using brass in construction and manufacturing, its anti corrosion properties, can be a disadvantage. Brass can take 80-100 years to decompose and once decomposed, returns potentially toxic chemicals and gases into the earth and atmosphere.
Whether taken to landfill, littered or left onsite to decompose, all of these disposal methods are unhealthy and unsustainable for the environment. The better option is to recycle your scrap brass responsibly with a professional scrap metal recycling company that is equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary for quick and safe disposal and reuse. Take this into account next time you see leftover brass around your site.
Earn money
This is one of the most significant advantages you can gain from recycling your scrap brass. Scrap metal recycling companies will pay you for your scrap brass depending on the type and quantity you have to recycle, you could make a lot of money off of what would otherwise be rubbish. Remember to call your local scrap metal recycler to find out their exact valuation and pricing for your scrap metal.
Learn more about how metal recycling can help your business in this blog post.
Our team here at Allied Metal Recyclers are experts in recycling scrap metals and are here to help your business. Contact us now for a free quote.
