Recycling metal-Know the why and how

                        Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into reusable objects to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, energy usage, air pollution from incineration and water pollution from landfilling by decreasing the need for "conventional" waste disposal and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, tires, textiles and electronics. Metal recycling is one of the best method to prevent waste materials to get wasted. The good thing about metal recycling is that, metal can be recycled over and over without altering its properties. In today's scenario there is a lot of metal scrap from household products, industries, etc. So if we recycle it, we reduce the drilling process from earth to get metal and save it for future. By doing this we are able to avoid scarcity of metals on earth. The most recyclable metal is aluminium and steel.

                      It is important to recycle metal because of many reasons described here. Metal is excavated from the earth through a process called mining. Due to mining, the areas excavated tend to be depleted and the miners have to move some other areas in search of metals to mine. If this trend does not stop or is not controlled, most areas will have huge excavation holes. Therefore, in order to prevent this and preserve the environment, it is important to recycle metal. It also reduces the emission of carbondioxide in the atmosphere, which prevents ozone layer from destructing and from global warming. So by embracing metal recycling we can prevent atmosphere. Through recycling, the government can save a lot of money that could be spent on mining and processing of metals. The money saved can be utilized into other development programs that can help improve the living standards of the people and the economy as a whole. Additionally, through the exportation of recycled metals, the government can generate more revenue, improve the socioeconomic status of its citizens and provide jobs to the unemployed. The recycling of metal reduces the growing demand for natural resources such as ore. When more and more metals are recycled, the demand for the natural metal is reduced. As less energy is required to process scrap metal than it is required to extract ore from the earth, purify it and later shape it into desired shapes and sizes. The preserved energy can be used for other purposes in the economy. Because of all this the actual cost of buying metal will reduce hence saving you some money. To conclude, metal is an important resource which should be recycled to ensure a steady supply, prevent environmental degradation and improve the economy.

                             Now, how the metals can be recycled. The metal recycling process is similar to the usual recycling process. First of all, scrap should be sorted on their properties. The metal recycling process follows the following steps. First step includes collection of all scrap metals in the yard. Once the metals have been collected, the next important step is to sort the metals according to their quality, and separating recyclable metals from non- recyclable metals. After sorting, the next step is to compact or squeeze the metal. All the recycle materials are squeezed and squashed using machines so that they do not occupy so much space in the conveyor belts. After the crushing and breaking of the metal, the shredding process starts. The metals are broken down into tiny pieces or sheets to allow further processing. The small pieces have large surface to volume ratio that can be melted using less energy as compared to when they are in large pieces of metal. Normally, steel is changed into steel blocks while on the other hand aluminium is converted into sheets. Next step is melting it in furnace, which requires considerable amount of energy but lesser than preparing it from raw metal. Melting takes time according to size of furnace and the temperature. After melting purification is done. Purification of metals is done to ensure that the final product is free of impurities and that it is of high quality. Electrolysis is one of the methods of purifying some metals. After the purification process, the molten metal is then carried by the conveyor belt to a cooling chamber where it is cooled and solidified. It is at this stage that the scrap metal is made into a solid metal that can be used again. Other chemicals are then added into the molten metal to make it acquire its density and other properties. It is at the cooling stage that different shapes and sizes of metals are made and designed. Once the bars have been designed and made, the final product is then packed depending on their sizes and shapes ready for transportation to different factories and to people who require the metal. Thereafter, the cycle begins again.