Top 6 Copper recycling facts
Copper is a popular non-ferrous metal. It is well-known for its resistance to corrosion, malleability, high ductility, and electrical conductivity. Today, copper is used in the manufacture of power generation and transmission, construction, electronic products, as well as transportation vehicles and industrial machinery.
After iron and aluminium, it is considered the most recycled metal. According to stats, around one-third of the copper used worldwide is recycled. This recycled copper, along with its alloys, can be used to refine copper without losing the physical and chemical properties of the metal. In this post, we are going to learn about certain copper recycling facts you might be unaware of.
- Fact 1: Copper is always used in its native form. It is considered to be the most usable metal since ancient times. According to historical study records, it is the oldest metal used by man. Ever since its inception, this metal has been used for making all sorts of structures and applications, such as electrical components, electric wires and pipes.
- Fact 2: Copper recycling is good for the environment. If you don’t recycle it and put it in the trash, it can amplify pollution and have a negative impact on the environment, contaminating water and air supplies.
- Fact 3: Copper recycling requires less energy compared to new copper processing. It offers 85-90% energy saving. Also, by recycling copper, you can save cash!
- Fact 4: The copper reuse extricated from the reused item is an accolade to an industry that is ecologically conscious, with respect to its use of normal assets for the benefit of customers.
- Fact 5: Every year in the USA, a large volume of copper is recycled from the reused material, as is extracted from recently mined mineral. So, when you debar wide production, most of which uses newly refined copper, the amount of copper used by copper and brass mills, foundries, power plants, ingot makers, and other industries shows that nearly three-fourths (72%) comes from recycled copper scrap.
- Fact 6: Copper resources are assessed at almost 5.8 trillion pounds across the world. Out of this, only about 0.7 trillion pounds (12%) have been mined throughout history. The rest is still available to be used as the copper recycling rate is higher than that of other metals.
Copper recycling comes with a plethora of benefits, such as non-renewable energy usage, landfill costs, conservation of copper resources, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Copper recycling not only helps keep the cost of copper products low, but it also helps save 15% of the energy used to make virgin material.