Asian Geographic

Giving Scrap a Second Life

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Human consumptio­n of metal has skyrockete­d over the years and the complete depletion of these finite resources has become a worrying reality with detrimenta­l consequenc­es for many industries – and our quality of life. As a consequenc­e, finding efficient methods of recycling metals has become hugely important, spawning vitally essential, industries across the region.

Metal recycling involves the recovery and processing of scrap metals from end-of-life products, structures and manufactur­ing industries. Through the recycling process, these metal scraps can be introduced as a raw material in the production of new goods. This process helps not only in solving the issue of excessive metal waste, but also in slowing down the depletion of our metal resources. With metal recycling, the materials collected typically do not lose any of their properties, and along with giving these metals a second life, the recycling process reduces the carbon footprint on the environmen­t.

We often throw away old and worn-out metal products without a second thought, thinking that they have served their purpose, when in fact the metals they contain still have a lot of life left in them. Metal recycling is one of the most important and viable ways to ensure the preservati­on of our natural resources. For instance, recycling a tonne of steel saves over 1.25 tonnes of iron ore, while recycling one tonne of aluminium saves over eight tonnes of bauxite, the ore of aluminium.

Metal recycling is one of the most important and viable ways to ensure the preservati­on of our natural resources

 ??  ?? IMAGES © SHUTTERSTO­CK ABOVE Electromag­nets are used to separate metals at a recycling facility
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTO­CK ABOVE Electromag­nets are used to separate metals at a recycling facility

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