When you’re thinking of recycling, metal recycling is probably not the first thing that pops into your mind. The most metal recycling people do is possibly drink cans. Metal recycling is one of the best ways to produce new products without needing to use any new materials. Metal recycling is one of the biggest things in the recycling industry and can be used for pretty much anything. Most things that are made up of metal can be manufactured from recycled metal. Metal can be broken down and re moulded into anything without losing any of its durability. Here are the steps that are taken to recycle metal.
Collection: The most important step in any type of recycling is collection. People recycle metal through various ways which need all need to be collected and sorted. Households and businesses recycle all types of metal which is then passed over to the authorities or third party companies. You can always go direct to waste companies who will come to your house and collect your recyclable metals. If metal items are part of a wider waste clearance, ask us whether they can be included in the collection.
Identifying and Sorting: After all the metal has been collected and brought back to the metal recycling centre, they have be separated into different categories. First they are separated by size as they may need to be cut down to a more manageable size. After they at the appropriate size, they have to be separated by the type of metal.
Cleaning: Many different types of metals go through recycling centres and some of them may contain a lot of dirt. Before the metal goes any further in the process, they need to be cleaned. This is why when you are recycling anything, you are encouraged to clean out any dirt beforehand. It will not only save time in the whole process but it will save money and will make the process a lot quicker.
Shredding: Sometimes some of the metal pieces are cut down to a more manageable size at this stage but this isn’t enough. Once they are sorted into different categories, it’s time to get them into tiny little pieces ready for it to be melted down. Small pieces not only make it easier to handle but it’s a lot easier to melt down. Larger pieces will take longer to melt down and will use a lot more energy. This method ensures that the whole process is fast and energy efficient.
Melting down: this is probably the most exciting part about metal recycling. After all the sorting cleaning and shredding is done. It’s time to put all the metal in a furnace to be melted. The furnace is heated to an appropriate temperature to easily melt it down to molten metal. Molten metal is perfect as it gives you a chance to mould and re shape to whatever you want.
Reforming the Metal: Once the molten metal is at the perfect temperature it is then taken on a conveyer belt to be cooled down and reshaped. Depending on what the recycling centre decide to do with the metal, it is shaped to different shapes and sizes. Mostly it is made into small brick which are then transported to different manufacturers who will use them to make their individual products.