Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste , scrap can have monetary value , especially recovered metals , and non-metallic materials are also recovered for recycling. Once collected, the materials are sorted into types – typically metal scrap will be crushed, shredded, and sorted using mechanical processes.
32-470: European Metal Recycling is a global scrap metal company, founded in 1994 by Phillip Sheppard. In 2013, their annual pre-tax profits for the UK were £47 million. They employ around 4,000 people in over 150 locations all around the world. Christopher Phillip Sheppard is the current director of the company. In 2019, EMR was the 16th largest private company in the U.K. This European corporation or company article
64-500: A welder . Radioactive sources have a wide range of uses in medicine and industry, and it is common for the design (and nature) of a source to be tailored to the specific application. Hence, it is impossible to state with confidence what the "typical" source looks like or contains. For instance, antistatic devices include beta and alpha emitters: polonium containing devices have been used to eliminate static electricity in such devices as paint spraying equipment. An overview of
96-907: A "scrapper" will advertise their services to conveniently remove scrap metal for people who don't need it. Scrap is often taken to a wrecking yard (also known as a scrapyard, junkyard, or breaker's yard), where it is processed for later melting into new products. A wrecking yard, depending on its location, may allow customers to browse their lot and purchase items before they are sent to the smelters , although many scrap yards that deal in large quantities of scrap usually do not, often selling entire units such as engines or machinery by weight with no regard to their functional status. Customers are typically required to supply all of their own tools and labor to extract parts, and some scrapyards may first require waiving liability for personal injury before entering. Many scrapyards also sell bulk metals ( stainless steel , etc.) by weight, often at prices substantially below
128-782: A Swedish government body responsible for geological survey of bedrock, soil and groundwater. Great potential exists in the scrap metal industry for accidents in which a hazardous material present in scrap causes death, injury, or environmental damage. A classic example is radioactivity in scrap ; the Goiânia accident and the Mayapuri radiological accident were incidents involving radioactive materials. Toxic materials such as asbestos , and toxic metals such as beryllium , cadmium , lead and mercury may pose dangers to personnel, as well as contaminating materials intended for metal smelters . Many specialized tools used in scrapyards are hazardous, such as
160-402: A magnet. Some cheaper grades of stainless steel are magnetic, other grades are not. These items are higher priced commodities for metal recycling and are important to separate when recycling them. The prices of non-ferrous metals also tend to fluctuate more than ferrous metals so it is important for recyclers to pay attention to these sources and the overall markets. This term is used to describe
192-483: A time countries in south Asia carried out most shipbreaking, often using manual methods that were hazardous to workers and the environment. International regulations now dictate the treatment of old ships as sources of hazardous waste, so shipbreaking has returned to ports in more developed countries. In 2013, about 29 million tons of scrap steel were recovered from broken ships. Some of the scrap can be reheated and rolled to make products such as concrete reinforcing bars, or
224-532: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Scrap metal Metal recycling, especially of structural steel , ships , used manufactured goods, such as vehicles and white goods , is an industrial activity with complex networks of wrecking yards , sorting facilities, and recycling plants. The industry includes both formal organizations and a wide range of informal roles such as waste pickers who help sorting through scrap. Scrap metal originates both in business and residential environments. Typically
256-443: Is a raw material feedstock for nearly 60% of steel made in the US, almost 50% of the copper and copper alloys produced in the US, more than 75% of the US paper industry's needs, and for 50% of US aluminum. Recycled scrap helps keep air and water cleaner by removing potentially hazardous materials and keeping them out of landfills. Radioactive scrap metal Radioactive scrap metal
288-470: Is created when radioactive material enters the metal recycling process and contaminates scrap metal . A "lost source accident" occurs when a radioactive object is lost or stolen . Such objects may appear in the scrap metal industry if people mistake them for harmless bits of metal. The International Atomic Energy Agency has provided guides for scrap metal collectors on what a sealed source might look like. The best known example of this type of event
320-423: Is economically advantageous to do so. It is cheaper to recycle steel than to mine iron ore and manipulate it through the production process to form new steel. Steel does not lose any of its inherent physical properties during the recycling process, and has drastically reduced energy and material requirements compared with refinement from iron ore. The energy saved by recycling reduces the annual energy consumption of
352-454: Is important to making more money on scrap, tips like using a magnet to determine ferrous and non-ferrous materials can help recyclers make more money on their metal recycling. When a magnet sticks to the metal, it will be a ferrous material, like steel or iron. This is usually a less expensive item that is recycled but usually is recycled in larger quantities of thousands of pounds. Non-ferrous metals like copper, aluminum, and brass do not stick to
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#1733084518358384-463: Is lost at a ferrous metal scrapyard then it is often the case that the source will enter a furnace, the radioactive metal will melt and contaminate the steel from this furnace. In Mexico, some buildings have been demolished because of the level of cobalt-60 in the steel used to make them. Also, some of the steel which was rendered radioactive in the Mexican event was used to make legs for 1400 tables. In
416-864: Is often used to make automotive fenders , tin cans , industrial drums , or any product with a large degree of cold working. EAF steelmaking uses almost 100% recycled steel. This steel contains greater concentrations of residual elements that cannot be removed through the application of oxygen and lime . It is used to make structural beams , plates , reinforcing bar , and other products that require little cold working. Downcycling of steel by hard-to-separate impurities such as copper or tin can only be prevented by well-aimed scrap selection or dilution by pure steel. Recycling one metric ton (1,000 kilograms ) of steel saves 1.1 metric tons of iron ore , 630 kilograms of coal , and 55 kilograms of limestone . The hulls of ships, with any usable equipment salvaged and removed, can be broken up to provide scrap steel. For
448-556: Is the Goiânia accident , in Brazil . While some lost-source accidents have not involved the scrap metal industry, they are good examples of the likely scale and scope of a lost-source accident. For example, the Red Army left sources behind in Didi Lilo , Georgia . Another case occurred at Yanango where an Ir radiography source was lost and at Gilan , Iran a radiography source harmed
480-912: The alligator shear , which cuts metal using hydraulic force, compactors , scrap metal shredder , and vacuum . According to the WHO (2023), “When e-waste is treated using inferior activities, it can release as many as 1000 different chemical substances ... including harmful … “ The metal recycling industry encompasses a wide range of metals. The more frequently recycled metals are scrap steel, iron (ISS), lead , aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and zinc. There are two main categories of metals: ferrous and non-ferrous. Metals that contain iron in them are known as ferrous . Metals without iron are non-ferrous . Non-ferrous metals also include precious and exotic metals: OSHA guidelines should be followed when recycling any type of scrap metal to ensure safety. Ferrous metals are able to be recycled , with steel being one of
512-409: The baghouse to enter the air (as with iodine ). It is normal to place silicon , aluminium scrap and flux in a furnace. This is heated to form molten aluminium. From the furnace three main streams are obtained, metal product, dross (metal oxides and halides which are skimmed off the molten metal product) and off gases which go to the baghouse . The cooled waste gasses are then allowed out into
544-434: The US scrap price, which has become increasingly important to global export markets. Scrap yards directories are also used by recyclers to find facilities in the US and Canada, allowing users to get in contact with yards. With resources online for recyclers to look at for scrapping tips, like websites, blogs, and search engines, scrapping is often referred to as a hand and labor-intensive job. Taking apart and separating metals
576-471: The case of some high-value scrap metals it is possible to decontaminate the material, but this is best done long before the metal goes to a scrap yard. In the case of a caesium source being melted in an electric arc furnace used for steel scrap, it is more likely that the caesium will contaminate the fly ash or dust from the furnace, while radium is likely to stay in the ash or slag . The United States Environmental Protection Agency provides data about
608-426: The current steel consumption for each industry with the amount of recycled steel being produced (the late 2000s recession and the associated sharp decline in automobile production in the US explains the over-100% calculation). A typical appliance is about 75% steel by weight and automobiles are about 65% steel and iron. The steel industry has been actively recycling for more than 150 years, in large part because it
640-423: The environment. It is normal that good-quality scrap copper, such as that from a nuclear plant , is refined in one furnace before being refined further in an electrochemical process. The furnace generates impure metal, slag , dust and gases. The dust accumulates in a baghouse, while the gases are vented to the atmosphere. The impure metal from the furnace may be further refined in an electrochemical process. If
672-416: The fate of different contaminating elements in a scrap furnace. Four different fates for the element exist: the element can stay in the metal (as with cobalt and ruthenium ); the element can enter the slag (as in lanthanides , actinides and radium ); the element can enter the furnace dust or fly ash (as with caesium ), which accounts for around 5%; or the element can leave the furnace and pass through
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#1733084518358704-456: The gamma sources used for radiography can be seen at Radiographic equipment , and it is reasonable to consider this to be a good overview of small to moderate gamma sources. The cleanup operation for the Goiânia accident was difficult both because the source containment had been opened, and the radioactive material was water-soluble. In 1983, a different incident in Mexico wherein cobalt-60
736-900: The industry by about 75%, which is enough to power eighteen million homes for one year. According to the International Resource Panel 's Metal Stocks in Society report , the per capita stock of steel in use in Australia, Canada, the European Union EU15, Norway, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, and the US combined is 7,085 kilograms (15,620 lb) (about 860 million people in 2005). Basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS) uses 25–35% recycled steel to make new steel. BOS steel usually contains lower concentrations of residual elements such as copper , nickel , and molybdenum , and is, therefore more malleable than electric arc furnace (EAF) steel, and
768-482: The most recycled materials in the world. Ferrous metals contain an appreciable percentage of iron and the addition of carbon and other substances creates steel . In the United States, steel containers, cans, automobiles, appliances, and construction materials contribute the greatest weight of recycled materials. For example, in 2008, more than 97% of structural steel and 106% of automobiles were recycled, comparing
800-469: The number of thefts increasing as prices rise. Manhole covers have also been stolen. In the 1970s, the term "newsjacking" was coined to describe the theft of newspapers for sale to scrap dealers. Scrap prices may vary markedly over time and in different locations. Prices are often negotiated between buyers and sellers directly or indirectly over the Internet. Prices displayed as the market prices are not
832-441: The prices that recyclers will see at the scrap yards. Other prices are ranges or older and not updated frequently. Some scrap yards' websites have updated scrap prices. In the US, scrap prices are reported in a handful of publications, including American Metal Market , based on confirmed sales as well as reference sites such as Scrap Metal Prices and Auctions. Non-US domiciled publications, such as The Steel Index , also report on
864-615: The recovery of "dormant" materials that once served a purpose in society but have become disused since. For example, large amounts of metal are buried underground as part of the provision of basic services including telecoms. Infrastructure, buildings and equipment stored or lying dormant in this way accounted for 28% of Sweden's copper use in 2021. In the same period, one sixth of the cables installed in Sweden's telecoms came from harvesting via urban mining. In particular this involved copper, aluminium, iron and steel. Figures for this are issued by SGU,
896-410: The retail purchasing costs of similar pieces. A scrap metal shredder is often used to recycle items containing a variety of other materials in combination with steel. Examples are automobiles and white goods such as refrigerators, stoves, clothes washers, etc. These items are labor-intensive to manually sort things like plastic, copper, aluminum, and brass. By shredding it into relatively small pieces,
928-597: The same scrap based on what the item does, regardless of what it weighs. Typically, if a wrecker cannot sell something above the value of the metal in it, they would then take it to the scrapyard and sell it by weight. Equipment containing parts of various metals can often be purchased at a price below that of either of the metals, due to saving the scrapyard the labor of separating the metals before shipping them to be recycled. Thieves sometimes sell stolen items to scrapyards. Copper pipes and wiring, bronze monuments and aluminium siding have all been targets of metal theft , with
960-703: The scrap may be melted to make new steel. The scrap industry was valued at more than $ 90 billion in 2012, up from $ 54 billion in 2009 balance of trade , exporting $ 28 billion in scrap commodities to 160 countries. Since 2010, the industry has added more than 15,000 jobs and supports 463,000 workers, both directly and indirectly. In addition, it generates more than $ 10 billion in revenue for federal, state, and local governments. Scrap recycling also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserves energy and natural resources. For example, scrap recycling diverts 135 million short tons (121,000,000 long tons; 122,000,000 t) of materials away from landfills . Recycled scrap
992-425: The steel can easily be separated out magnetically. The non-ferrous waste stream requires other techniques to sort. In contrast to wrecking yards, scrapyards typically sell everything by weight, instead of by item. To the scrapyard, the primary value of the scrap is what the smelter will give them for it, rather than the value of whatever shape the metal may be in. An auto wrecker, on the other hand, would price exactly
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1024-408: Was spilled in an otherwise similar exposure led to a very different pattern of contamination, since the cobalt in such a source is normally in the form of cobalt metal alloyed with some nickel to improve the mechanical properties of the radioactive metal. If such a source is abused, then the cobalt metal fragments do not tend to dissolve in water or become very mobile. If a cobalt or iridium source
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