Metal recycling is the process of collecting used metal, preparing it and melting it down so it can be made into new products. Unlike many materials, most metals can be recycled over and over without losing their properties. A copper wire recycled today can become copper pipe, and later copper wire again.
Why recycle metal
- It saves energy. Making aluminium from scrap uses a small fraction of the energy needed to make it from ore, and making steel from scrap uses far less than making it from iron ore.
- It saves raw material. Every tonne of scrap is ore that does not have to be mined.
- It has value. Metal is one of the few kinds of waste that people are paid to hand over.
How metal is recycled, step by step
1. Collection
Scrap comes from businesses, construction and demolition, vehicles and households. A scrap yard is usually the first stop, where it is weighed and bought.
2. Sorting
Metals are separated by type. Magnets pull out steel and iron. Non ferrous metals are sorted by hand and by eye, and at larger plants by machines that separate metals by density or by how they react to magnetic fields.
3. Processing
The sorted metal is cut, sheared, baled or shredded so that it is dense and uniform, which makes it easier to transport and to melt. Cable is stripped to recover the copper or aluminium inside.
4. Melting
Each metal goes to a furnace suited to it. Steel scrap is widely melted in electric arc furnaces. Aluminium, copper and brass go to their own smelters and foundries.
5. Purifying
Impurities are removed from the molten metal so that it meets the grade the buyer needs.
6. Casting and shaping
The clean metal is cast into ingots, billets, slabs or rods, which are then rolled, drawn or extruded into new products: rebar, sheet, wire, pipe, cans and profiles.
How you can recycle metal
- Keep metal out of general waste
- Separate the main metals if you can
- Remove plastic, rubber, glass and oil where it is easy
- Take it to a scrap yard, where it is weighed and you are paid for it
In Abu Dhabi, our yard is at Musaffah M42. Call or WhatsApp +971 52 727 0105, or read what happens to your metal after you sell it.
Common questions
Can metal be recycled forever?
Most metals, including steel, aluminium and copper, can be recycled again and again without losing their basic properties.
What are the steps of metal recycling?
Collection, sorting, processing, melting, purifying, and casting into new shapes such as ingots, billets and sheet.
Why is recycling metal good for the environment?
It uses much less energy than making metal from ore, and it reduces the amount of ore that has to be mined.
