3350 Metro Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33916 .239.337.5865 | 6101 Shirley Street Naples, FL 34109 | 921 S.E. 13th Place Cape Coral, FL 33990

Scrap Metal Facts

Scrap Metal Recycling Facts

Scrap Facts

Scrap has been an important export commodity from the United States for over 120 years.
$15.7 Billion worth of scrap commodities were exported in 2007.
Scrap Recycling was an $86 billion dollar industry in the US in 2008.
Scrap metal was the 2nd largest export to China in dollar value in 2007.
75% of all "trash" can be recycled.

Aluminum Recycling Facts

A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
Other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now.
Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but currently only every second can is recycled.
There is no limit to the number of times aluminum cans may be recycled.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours -- or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
We use over 80 billion aluminum soda cans every year.
Recycling 1KG (2.20lbs) of Aluminum saves up to 6KG (13.2lbs) of bauxite, 4KG (8.8lbs) of chemical products, and most importantly 14 kWh of electricity.
If all the aluminum cans in the United States were recycled there would be 14 million fewer dustbins annually.
Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy used to make the material from scratch. That means you can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount it takes to make one can out of new material. Energy savings in 2007 were enough to light a city the size of Detroit for 8 years.
Americans throw away (dispose, not recycle) enough aluminum every month to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet.
During Christmas time there are over 300 million cans used per week.
Americans use 100 million cans per day.
When you toss out aluminum cans you waste as much energy as if you filled the same can half full with gasoline, and just threw it on the ground.
The 36 billion Aluminum cans land filled last year had a scrap value of 600 million dollars. Makes you wonder if in the future we'll be mining our old landfills for the aluminum we've already thrown away.
97% of all beverage cans are aluminum.
North America is currently recycling 2/3 of aluminum cans, nowhere close to the amount we should be recycling.
Making cans from recycled aluminum cuts air related pollution by 95%.
In 2003, 54 billion cans were recycled, saving the energy equivalent of 15 million barrels of crude oil – America’s entire gas consumption for one day.
350,000 aluminum cans are produced every minute!
During the time it takes you to read this sentence, 50,000 12-ounce aluminum cans are made!
Aluminum can manufacturers have been making cans lighter -- in 1972 each pound of aluminum produced 22 cans; today it yields 29 cans!
At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!
It is estimated that since 1972 some 16 million tons of aluminum cans have been recycled. These 785.6 billion aluminum cans placed end-to-end could stretch to the moon more than 249 times!
In 1972, 53 million pounds of aluminum cans were recycled. Today, we exceed that amount weekly. Some 119,482 cans are recycled every minute nationwide!
Aluminum cans have tremendous value. In 1996, Americans earned $1.08 billion by recycling aluminum cans. Since 1972, Americans have earned almost $8.9 billion by recycling aluminum cans!
The weight of aluminum cans recycled in 1996 was equal to the weight of 14 aircraft carriers -- 983,709 tons!
In 1972, it took about 22 empty, aluminum cans to weigh one pound. Due to advanced technology to use less material and increase durability of aluminum cans, in 2002 it takes about 34 empty aluminum cans to weigh one pound.

Copper Recycling Facts ^{**www.copper.org}

A Boeing 727 contains about 9,000 pounds of copper
We're in no danger of running out of copper. Known worldwide resources of this important and valuable metal are estimated at nearly 5.8 trillion pounds of which only about 0.7 trillion (12%) have been mined throughout history.
Nearly all of that 0.7 trillion (or 700 billion) pounds is still in circulation because copper's recycling rate is higher than that of any other engineering metal.
Until well into the 1800s, most copper used in the U.S.A. had to be imported. Today, we are virtually self-sufficient and, worldwide, second only to Chile in production.
Each year in the U.S.A., nearly as much copper is recovered from recycled material as is derived from newly mined ore. Excluding wire production, most of which uses newly refined copper, more than three-fourths of the amount used by copper and brass mills, ingot makers, foundries, powder plants and other industries comes from recycled scrap.
Almost half of all recycled copper scrap is old post-consumer scrap, such as discarded electric cable, junked automobile radiators and air conditioners, or even ancient Egyptian plumbing. (Yes, it's been around that long.)
The remainder is new scrap, such as chips and turnings from screw machine production.
U.S. copper mine production in 2002 dropped to 2,516 million pounds from 2001's 2,954 million pounds.
The 2002 level of 7,313 million pounds is a 6.0% decrease from the revised 2001 level of 7,780 million pounds.
Exports of mill products in 2002 continued to decline also, down 7.1% at 735 million pounds versus imports of 909 million pounds, a decrease of 10.0% from 2001 levels.
The Statue of Liberty is made entirely of copper which is the reason it is green (from Patina(fancy for rust)). After being up since 1886 the weathering and oxidation of the copper skin has amounted to just .005 of an inch.
The Statue of Liberty is made of 179,000 pounds of copper
Copper is man's oldest metal, dating back more than 10,000 years. A copper pendant discovered in what is now northern Iraq goes back to about 8700 B.C.
The H.M.S. Beagle, used by Charles Darwin for his historic voyages around the world, was built in 1825 with copper skins below the water line. The copper sheathing extended hull life and protected against barnacles and other kinds of biofouling. Today most seagoing vessels use a copper-containing paint for hull protection.
Paul Revere, of Revolutionary War fame, produced the copper hull sheathing, bronze cannon, spikes and pumps for the U.S.S. Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides." Revere was one of the earliest American coppersmiths.
One of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls found in Israel is made of copper instead of more fragile animal skins. The scroll contains no biblical passages or religious writings - only clues to a still undiscovered treasure.
Archeologists have recovered a portion of a water plumbing system from the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. The copper tubing used was found in serviceable condition after more than 5,000 years.
A museum at the University of Pennsylvania displays a copper frying pan that has been dated to be more than 50 centuries old.
Some things never change! Ten thousand years ago, cave dwellers used copper axes as weapons and tools for survival. Today, high tech surgeons save lives and precious blood by using copper-clad scalpels. The copper conducts an electric current that heats the scalpel to make it self-cauterizing.
The first copper deposit worked extensively in America (by non-native Americans) is located in Granby, Connecticut. It was operated from 1705 until 1770.
Pure copper's melting point is 1,981ºF (1,083ºC).
Brasses and Bronzes are probably the most well-known families of copper-base alloys. Brasses are mainly copper and zinc. Bronzes are mainly copper along with alloying elements such as tin, aluminum, silicon or beryllium.
Zebra mussels, brought to North America on freighters from Europe, are kept from clogging the water intakes of power companies around the Great Lakes through the use of copper alloy screens that reject their attachment and impede growth.
An average single-family home uses 439 pounds of copper.
- In an average single-family home, you will find about:
  - 195 pounds - building wire
  - 151 pounds - plumbing tube, fillings, valves
  - 24 pounds - plumbers' brass goods
  - 47 pounds - built-in appliances
  - 12 pounds - builders hardware
  - 10 pounds - other wire and tube
- An average multifamily unit uses 278 pounds of copper:
  - 125 pounds - building wire
  - 82 pounds - plumbing tube, fittings, valves
  - 20 pounds - plumbers' brass goods
  - 38 pounds - built-in appliances
  - 6 pounds - builders hardware
  - 7 pounds - other wire and tube
- General levels of copper use in major appliances:
  - 52 pounds - unitary air conditioner
  - 48 pounds - unitary heat pump
  - 5.0 pounds - dishwasher
  - 4.8 pounds - refrigerator/freezer
  - 4.4 pounds - clothes washer
  - 2.7 pounds - dehumidifier
  - 2.3 pounds - disposer
  - 2.0 pounds - clothes dryer
  - 1.3 pounds - range
Some 10,000 copper range hoods and 20,000 weather vanes are produced annually, using about 7 pounds of copper each.
The average house has 12 lockset's: 2½ are keyed, the rest are passage sets. The average multifamily unit has 6 lockset's - 1½ keyed, the remainder are passage sets.
There are probably about a billion doorknobs in the U.S., weighing in with about 500-600 million pounds of copper.
There is an average of 50-55 electrical outlets per home and some 15-20 switches. That translates to between 2½ and 3 pounds of copper alloy for these uses per house.

Steel Recycling Facts

A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel.
In one year in the United States, the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18 million homes.
Recycling one ton of steel saves about 2.5 tons of iron ore, 1 ton of coal and 120 pounds of limestone.
The recycling rates of steel packaging are at 46%, in comparison to aluminum at just under 24%.
Recycling one ton of steel scrap saves more than 80% of the CO2 emissions produced when making steel from Iron ore.
Each household in the United States used approximately 600 steel cans per year.
Recycling seven steel cans saves enough energy to power a 60 watt light bulb for 26 hours.
Every year the United States saves enough energy, by recycling steel, to supply Los Angeles with nearly a decade’s worth of electricity.
Americans throw away (dispose, not recycle) enough iron and steel to supply all the nation’s automakers on a continuous basis.
A steel mill that recycles scrap reduces related water pollution, air pollutions, and mining wastes by about 70%.
Everyday Americans use enough steel to run a steel pipe line from New York to Los Angeles and back to New York.
The first company in U.S. history to become a billion dollar business was U.S. Steel.
Steel is the most recycled material in the world - more than aluminum, glass & paper combined.
On average a little more than 9,000 steel cans are removed from landfills with a magnet every minute
Food cans usually contain a tin coating which is a valuable metal. 70% to 80% of this tin is recovered in the recycling process of food cans.
More than 80 million tons of steel are recycled each year in North America.
Steel products can be recycled repeatedly without loss of strength.
Recycling steel saves the equivalent energy to power 18 million households for a year.
The amount of energy needed to produce a ton of steel has been reduced 34 percent since 1972.
Over $10 billion has been invested to create a New Steel that is better for the environment.
It takes more than 40 trees to build a wood-framed home. It takes approximately four recycled cars to frame typical 2000 sq ft. house.
83,000 tons of steel was needed to build the Golden Gate Bridge. Only half of that would be needed now.
600 steel cans or tin cans are recycled every second.

Brass/Bronze Recycling Facts

Brass is an allergy-free metal.
Brass is an alloy of Copper and Zinc (Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.)
When heated, brass will sometimes darken or turn a reddish color.
Brass can also be plated, painted, enameled, or stained with glass-stain. It’s a very versatile metal!
If you are unsure as to whether or not an item is brass, subject the piece to a strong magnet. Brass can not be picked up with a magnet.
Brass has a muted yellow color which is somewhat similar to gold. It is relatively resistant to tarnishing, and is often used as decoration and for coins. In antiquity, polished brass was often used as a mirror.
Bronze is found in bells, statuary, bearings, gears, valves, pipes, and other plumbing fittings, and it is a sturdy.
Humans have been working with bronze for over 3,000 years. Hence the Bronze Age (3,300 B.C. - 1,200 B.C.)
Bronze is much harder than Brass
Bronze causes minimal friction which is way it is highly used in machince parts.
Bronze is also non-sparking which is why it is favored in combustible environments.
The resonance of bronze also makes it ideal for use in casting bells.

Paper Recycling Facts

If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year.
Approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S—enough to heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 million trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!
More than 37 percent of the fiber used to make new paper products in the United States comes from recycled sources.
One million tons of recovered paper is enough to fill more than 14,000 railroad cars.
To produce each week's Sunday newspapers in the USA, 500,000 trees must be cut down.
It takes 15 years for a tree to produce just 700 grocery bags.
One person on average will use up 7 trees a year using products made from tree's

Plastic Recycling Facts

Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away!
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. That’s a lot of containers -- make sure they’re recycled!
Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.
Plastics in the U.S. are made primarily (70 percent) from domestic natural gas.
At the bottom of plastic containers you'll find a number code which will help you separate your containers accordingly.

Automobile Facts

Nearly 12 million vehicles reach the end of their useful lives every year in North America.
75% of your old car can be recycled.
Using recycled metal saves up to 74% energy and 40% water consumption. It also reduces air pollution by about 86% and water pollution by 76%.
There are 7-8 Million vehicles that are recycled every year, auto recycling supplies the nations scrap industry of about 37% of its ferrous scrap processing, making it one of the major sources of scrap metal.
Automobiles are made of almost 100% recycled steel.

These facts are purely for the purpose of entertainment. They have not been cross-checked by any sources what-so-ever. The only verified sources are the Copper facts.