They are incredibly durable and don’t degrade over time. Therefore, ferrous metals tend to be lower in price and in less demand than non-ferrous.Īlthough ferrous metals are recycled in far greater quantities, non-ferrous metals are worth more, as they are in higher demand due to their numerous benefits as a metal. 500 million tonnes of ferrous metal are used to produce 1.3 billion tonnes of steel in 2008 alone, and that number is constantly increasing.įerrous scrap metals are so readily available but have numerous downsides such as being susceptible to corrosion they are also not always salvageable.
Ferrous metals are currently one of the most recycled materials in the world, mostly from vehicles. These metals are usually found in items such as cars, cans stoves, cookers, and fridges.īoth ferrous and non-ferrous metals can be recycled both have different values, strengths, and weaknesses.
A magnet will not attach to a non-ferrous. You can tell whether your metal is ferrous or non-ferrous by simply taking a magnet to it. Non-ferrous metals include aluminium, lead, tin, copper nickel, but also include precious metals such as gold and silver and even exotic or rare metals such as cobalt and mercury. Non-ferrous metals mostly contain iron, are magnetic and give little resistance to corrosion.Metals suitable for recycling are usually sorted into two separate groups ferrous and non-ferrous. Metals are in fact one of the easiest materials to recycle they hold their value well, with most types being able to be recycled repeatedly, through no change to their basic properties. The recycled metal in the UK mainly comes from industry and household waste in areas such as towns and cities. Over 400 million tonnes of metal is recycled every year, so what happens to your recycled metal? How is it recycled and what does it become after?Īlmost all metals are recyclable, however in the UK, iron and steel make up most of recycled metal. Whether you put your cans in the recycling bin to be collected weekly, or you work within an industry which creates metal waste, the act of metal recycling is a constant, but the details often remain undiscussed, leaving customers in the dark to what actually happens to their metal. We can help the environment to conserve natural resources by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and using less energy compared to making metal from virgin ore. We are increasingly becoming more aware of how important recycling is – especially when it comes to metal.
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