WHY RECYCLE?

It’s easy!

It’s good for the environment!
Recycling metal conserves natural resources. Recycling one ton of:

• Steel conserves 2,500 lbs. of iron ore, 1,400 lbs. of coal and 120 lbs. of limestone
• Aluminum conserves up to 8 tons bauxite ore and 14 megawatt hours of electricity

And it saves energy! Using recycled metals reduces greenhouse gas emissions because recycled materials use significantly less energy than virgin ore to manufacture new products. Also, using recycled materials avoids the use of landfills for waste.

It’s good for the economy!
In 2006, scrap recycling was a $65 billion industry employing 50,000 people

And you can make money!

Other Facts & Figures

• 150 million tons of scrap materials are recycled annually in the US
• 2 out of 3 pounds of steel made in the U.S. is manufactured using ferrous scrap
• 60% of the metals and alloys produced in the U.S. are made from nonferrous scrap

(Environmental impact, economic and other facts and figures provided by the Institute of Scrap Recycling)