The Recycling Process
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EarthCycle
 Conserving Our Natural Resources |
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The recycling process begins with each of us. Material that is no longer able to be used for what it was originally intended, may be suitable for recycling. Examples of such materials include automobiles, hot-water heaters, washers, dryers, stoves, worn out bicycles, aluminum cans, sheet metal and agricultural and industrial scrap. This material is brought to a scrap processor. The processor separates it according to type; and, with a variety of equipment, homogenizes and manufactures the scrap into industry specific grades. The material is recycled by group, or chemistry. That is, like items are grouped together, processed, and marketed according to industry specifications. Our specifications are written and approved by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). A bell-weather grade, for example, is No. 1 Heavy Melting Steel. The specification reads as follows: “Wrought iron and/or steel scrap 1/4 inch and over in thickness. Individual pieces not over 60 x 24 inches (charging box size) prepared in a manner to insure compact charging.” Major processing equipment may include balers, shears and shredders with each producing a different product. A baler produces a square or rectangular block weighing from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand pounds. Shears slice metals into designated sizes; while shredders fragmentize metal into fist-size pieces.
This processed scrap is sold to an industrial consumer, a mill or foundry, for melting into new products; be it sheet, plate, structural, shapes, reinforcing bar or other forms. These items are now sold to other manufacturers to produce new automobiles, stoves, bicycles, beverage cans, buildings or other consumer goods. Then, once again, the recycling process is repeated. This procedure is used for every type of material, whether it is metal, paper, glass, plastic or rubber. |
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….. committed to Conserving the Future by Recycling the Past! |
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