Metal Recycling Facts
Metal is a versatile material. There are many types used to create items we rely on in our daily lives, from aluminum soda cans to steel car parts and copper wiring in electronic devices. The good news is that most kinds of metal are recyclable when they become waste.
The global metal recycling market is valued at more than $900 billion. Food and drink packaging, scrap metal from vehicles, and precious metals removed from electrical items are all valuable and reusable. Every year around the world more than 400 million tons of scrap metal are recycled.
Recycling waste metal benefits the environment and the economy as metals are finite resources. Discover how much metal we use and why sustainable disposal is so important with these metal recycling facts and statistics.
Metal recycling statistics
More than 400 million tons of metal are recycled around the world every year, but lots unfortunately still go to landfills. Most metal recycling statistics and facts are categorized by the type of metal. Recycling rates vary between ferrous and non-ferrous metals as well as across different countries and continents.
Get an insight into what happens to metal waste with these shiny metal recycling statistics
- Less than one third of metals have a recycling rate above 50% around the world
- Iron and steel (ferrous metals) are the largest category of metals found in municipal solid waste (MSW) by weight in the USA
- About 80 million tons of steel are recycled in the USA annually
- Recycling metal saves up to 90% of energy compared to sourcing and creating new metal
- 1 million steel cans are recycled in the USA every year at a 71% recycling rate
- Around 5 million tons of steel are sent to landfills in the US each year – accounting for 7.2% of all MSW landfilled
- Lead is the most recycled metal in the US with a 69% recycling rate
- Only 19% of chromium is recycled in the USA, making it one of the least recycled metals
Aluminum recycling facts
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable. It can be recycled again and again without losing quality as the material retains its properties. The lightweight, versatile, and recyclable qualities are what make aluminum one of the most popular metals for many products. It’s used to make aluminum foil, food trays, window frames, and automotive components, which are all recyclable.
Aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the world. These aluminum recycling facts show how much we recycle it and highlight areas to improve:
- Almost 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still in use
- Around 70% of aluminum drink cans are recycled globally – it’s the most recycled drink container in the world
- The average aluminum can contains 73% recycled content (20 times the amount in plastic bottles)
- More than 90% of aluminum waste from building materials and automotive parts are recycled
- Recycling aluminum requires 5% of the energy compared to creating aluminum products from virgin materials
- It can take just 60 days to recycle an aluminum can before it’s back in use
- More than 100,000 aluminum cans are recycled every minute
- Landfills receive more than $800 million of recyclable aluminum each year in the US
- Any aluminum cans in landfills may take up to 500 years to decompose
- Aluminum recycling in the US saves the equivalent of more than 90 million barrels of oil each year
- More than 80% of aluminum production in the US is made up of recycled aluminum
- The USA collects twice the amount of aluminum today compared to in the 1980s
- China produces the most recycled aluminum in the world followed by the USA
- Since 1972 more than two trillion aluminum cans have been recycled in the US
Scrap metal recycling facts
Scrap metal recycling is essential for sustainable waste management across businesses and households. Any used metal items and products become scrap when they’re no longer needed. It could be a broken exhaust pipe from a car, an old refrigerator from a restaurant, or a metal chair from your living room.
Discover how much metal gets scrapped with these scrap metal recycling facts:
- The US recycles around 150 million tons of scrap metal every year
- The scrap recycling industry in the USA creates $117 billion in economic activity every year
- There are more than 500,000 jobs within the USA’s scrap metal recycling industry
- The automotive industry is the largest consumer of scrap metal
- Recycling scrap metal in the USA keeps 135 million tons of metal waste away from landfills
- Around 120,000 tons of steel and 2,000 tons of copper are recovered from refrigerators and freezers each year in the US
- It’s estimated that the scrap recycling industry helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 300 million tons
- Appliances, furniture, and tires are the main sources of ferrous scrap metals in MSW
Reduce and recycle
metal waste
Many businesses generate all sorts of metal waste – from vehicle parts in the automotive sector to old refrigerators in restaurants and hotels. At Business Waste, we can help recycle your commercial metal waste with reliable collections and sustainable disposal solutions. Find out more about our commercial metal recycling services.
Speak to one of our friendly experts today for a free no-obligation quote for waste metal collection. Tell us a bit about the types and volumes of scrap metal you produce and your location for a bespoke price. Call 888 584 2118 or contact us online today for your free quote.
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