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Think of the Future, Think of Brass Recycling

Posted on 14 December 2015

Living in a world where climate change and environmental issues are some of the most prominent issues we face today, it’s common knowledge that we have to take actions to keep mother nature safe. Many are working to do so, and the media has largely focused on depicting plastic, glass, and cans as recyclable materials, due to their common role in our life. Nonetheless, there is another equally abundant material that is sustained entirely through recycling: brass. This article will explore the brass recycling procedure, a vital process in the recycling industry that is not widely covered by the media.

Brass recycling is one of the major parts of scrap metal recycling. Annually, scrap recycling transforms up to 135 million metrics of garbage into useful materials, and is valued at billions of dollars in the United States alone. Brass recycling, in particular, is integrated into the brass industry all over the world. In fact, 90% of the brass used in everyday materials comes from the brass recycling process. Like any other recycling procedures, brass recycling is done in 4 major steps: collection, vacuum processing, shredding, and melting/purification. To ensure the brass ─ a non-ferrous metal made of copper and zinc ─ purity is up to standard, pure copper and zinc are typically added to the molten brass mixtures during the brass recycling process.

The brass alloys produced from brass recycling is usually of a high quality and could be utilized for any of its intended applications. Brass has many attractive properties such as high malleability, enormous strength and high electrical as well as thermal conductivity. Thus, it is commonly used for a variety of products such as screws, keys, buttons, kitchen taps, and much more. It is also commonly used for an ‘out of sight’ component in a vital safety mechanisms such as seat belts, due to its compatibility and corrosion resistance. Due to the wide range of brass applications in our daily life, the recycling procedure is a critically important process to sustain significant amounts of household products.

In addition to the economic benefits, brass recycling also offers tremendous environmental benefits. The main purpose of brass recycling is to reduce the amount of waste, reuse as much contents as possible, and to recycle objects that are no longer usable. The most imperative effect of brass recycling is the reduction of copper mining that emits toxic gases like sulphur dioxide to the environment. Saving energy is the second important point of brass recycling. The energy needed for recycling brass is only 10% of what is needed for copper ore extraction. Brass recycling also allows the conservation of the increasingly scarce copper. Landfill costs are reduced when proper recycling is done, as metal wastes decrease. Lastly, brass sustains the price of copper alloys as it produces a high quality end-product with a lower cost than before.

Brass recycling is a very useful, yet, less-known procedure that we should support in order to protect our environment. As a Torontonian, a citizen in one of the leading countries for environmental movement, we have to not only deepen our recycling knowledge, but to take immediate actions to support it. If you are interested in recycling your scrap metal and knowing more about brass recycling, your best bet is to approach a reliable local scrap metal shop. An example would be Scrap Metal Toronto, a division of an established metal recycling business called Tal Metal that commits to its customers to deliver a great service.

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