What happens to metal?

Did you know?

Recycling metal uses around 75% less energy than creating new metal.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Scrap metals are categorised into ferrous and non-ferrous groups before being processed.

Ferrous metals include things like cast iron and steel. Because they are generally magnetic and contain iron, these types of metals are popular in the car industry, while their strength also makes them useful for construction.

Non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, silver, titanium, and copper are generally softer. This means they can be used for anything from taps and ornaments to vehicle batteries and wiring.

The recycling process

• bales of metal are taken to the reprocessing plant, where they go through four stages – shredding, de-coating, melting, and casting
• the molten metals are cast into large ingots weighing more than 207 tonnes each!
• metal ingots are transported to manufacturing plants where they are rolled, formed, or cast into new products

Examples of new items

Your recycled aluminium can be used in the production of a wide range of items such as cars, bicycles or even planes. Steel can be used in construction or to make paint cans and lots of other packaging types.