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What Can Scrap Metal Be Used For?

Just because metal is ‘scrap’ doesn’t make it useless. On the contrary, scrap metal is highly sought after by scrap merchants for their wide range of usable applications. The team at Hill Metal recycling have put together this article to highlight the many different uses of scrap metal.

All The Different Uses Of Scrap Metal:

1. Recycling and remanufacturing

The main use for the scrap metal cycle is for metals to be recycled and reused instead of being thrown into a landfill. When items are sold to a scrap merchant, a lot of them will be salvaged into their core parts. These parts will then be sold to industries and companies to reuse in their newly manufactured products. These can be on a small commercial scale – such as copper being used in plumbing applications – or on a larger industrial scale – such as aluminium being used for the production of cars or planes. Much of the scrap metal will be used for construction, helping build the bridges, roads and buildings that make up modern society.

2. Home furnishings

Metals don’t always need to be broken down and made into ‘newly manufactured products’ to be beneficial. Though a lot of furniture is created this way, many other pieces of furniture are now being constructed using scrap metal in its current form. For example, there are many wine racks and clocks currently available on the market that are made from old car engines. These quirky designs are becoming increasingly popular and provide a unique, creative way to decorate homes across the globe.

3. Art

Scrap metal is highly sought after by artists for use in their sculptures and projects. Although this may not be the first use that comes to mind, scrap metal can be found in art all across the world. In California, a 30ft sculpture, made from nine tons of salvaged steel, depicts a woman in a moment of passion and ecstasy. In Thailand, a local artist uses scrap metal to create incredibly detailed replicas of The Incredible Hulk.

4. Reducing our carbon footprint and helping the environment

While some may describe this as a benefit rather than an application, make no mistake about how vitally impactful the use of scrap metal – in practically any form – has on our environment. By providing core metals through the process of scrap metal recycling or reusing, the demand for ore mining is significantly lower. Mining metal has detrimental effects on the environment; not only does ore mining often necessitate the destruction of natural environments, including habitats, but the process also requires large amounts of energy to complete. This leads to ore mining emitting a significant amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Therefore, the demand and various uses for scrap metal are imperative in the preservation of our planet.

Here at Hill Metal Recycling, we’re dedicated to helping the environment with our wide range of recycling services. We comply with strict guidelines to ensure that we salvage and recycle all the metal we can in a safe and efficient manner. For more information, give our expert team a call today.