What are non-ferrous metals?
Generally, non-ferrous metals are not made of iron, and are not magnetic.
- Copper (electric wires, plumbing pipes and fittings, sheathing, rain gutters, etc.)
- Brass (plumbing fixtures, radiators, pipes and fittings)
- Aluminum (window frames, rims, alloys, air condition coils, cast aluminum, rain gutters, borings, etc.)
- Stainless Steel (even though it contains iron, the good quality stainless steel is not magnetic)
- High-temp alloys such as nickel, carbide, titanium, etc.
Fundraising
Recycling is an excellent way to raise money for local schools, boy scouts / girl scouts, churches, etc. Ask us for more details.
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!
- Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
- Recycling aluminum uses 95% less energy, and produces 95% less air & water pollution, compared to using virgin ore.
- An aluminum can takes 200-500 years to decompose!
- There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can, can be recycled.
- Recycling one pound of aluminum saves 8 pounds of bauxite (aluminum ore), 4 pounds of chemicals and 7 kWh of electricity.
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours — or the equivalent of a half a can of gasoline.
- At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!
Copper Recycling Facts
- Copper and copper-alloy scrap provides one-third of the U.S. copper supply.
- The U.S. provides more than 20 percent of the world supply of recovered copper.
- 80% of the copper that has ever been produced is still in use today.
- Copper and copper alloys have been used and reused for thousands of years.
- 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.
- In 2010, U.S. recyclers processed 1.8 million metric tons of copper for domestic use and export.
Plastic Recycling Facts
- One plastic bottle takes 450 years to decompose.
- Producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses 70-80% less energy than is required to make products from raw (virgin) materials.
- Recycling one ton of plastic bottles saves approximately 3.8 barrels of oil.
- Recycling 15 half-liter bottles produces enough fiber-fill to make a ski jacket.
- Recycling one bottle can save enough energy to run a 100-watt light bulb for 3 1/2 hours.
- Recycled plastics are used to make trash cans, carpets, playground equipment, plastic lumber, pipes, fences, toys, binders, pallets, clothing and many other items.
Glass Recycling Facts
- The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or a CFL bulb for 20 hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.
- Mining and transporting raw materials for glass produces about 385 pounds of waste for every ton of glass that is made. If recycled glass is substituted for half of the raw materials, the waste is cut by more than 80%.
- For every ton of new glass produced, 28 pounds of air pollution is created. Recycling glass reduces that pollution by 14-20%.
- Recycling glass saves 25-32% of the energy used to make new glass, partly because making glass from recycled material allows manufacturers to run their furnaces at lower temperatures.
These recycling facts have been compiled from various sources including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency, Earth911.org, Natural Resources Defense Council, ISRI and Recycling-Revolution.com.