Have you ever wondered what happens to the old steel from bridges and buildings?
Companies send their old steel to be recycled and to be processed into new items that we use every day. Those items are electrical appliances, automobiles, bolts, nuts, screws, cans, and containers. Did you know that for every ton of steel recycled 1.8 barrels of oil is saved?
Steel is 100% recyclable and can be melted down many times and not lose any of its properties, but the making of steel uses a lot of energy. They use fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases which contributes to global warming.
Here’s some information about how steel is recycled.
- Sorting: magnets are used to attract the steel away from other materials in a recycling facility.
- Shredding: shredders with rotating magnet drums extract iron and steel from other metals and materials.
- Media Separation: further separation by using electrical currents, high-pressure air flows, and liquid floating systems.
- Shearing: Hydraulic machinery is used to cut thick heavy steel recovered from railways and ships by exerting enormous pressure on the items.
- Melting and Reshaping: Then melted and reshaped before being used in the production of a variety of commodities ranging from bikes and new cans and paper clips.
Join us in recycling steel by placing it in your Blue bags and we will pick it up or you can drop it off at East Central Recycling at 701 E. Centennial Ave.
Sources
azom.com