Copper has been the only metal in use on the planet since 10,000 years back. The global resources of copper are almost around 5.8 trillion pounds. The process of copper recycling has been popular from the early times, and the rate of recycling is more than the rest of the recyclable engineering metals.
Demand is high
There is no degradation of the metal on recycling. So basically, the copper that you are using today can be the constituent of an object that people made thousands of years back. Business owners who are into scrap metal recycling are now running a profitable business because of this sustaining property. Furthermore, copper has additional properties such as:
- Copper is the best conduction of electricity apart from silver.
- Electrical and thermal conductivity is high.
- High ductility
- Malleable
All these factors have already increased the demand for copper recycling. Let’s not forget the benefits one gets from recycling; here are the top 5 benefits:
- Save the ores
Copper is available from copper ores; you can mine the resources in order to extract the metal. But you should be mindful of the fact that the resource is finite and if the ore is gone, it’s gone forever. As you already have a huge quantity of the metal in use, it is better to keep the rest as a reserve for future generations.
- Recycling prevents the necessity to mine further.
- Exhausting the resource will perish the metal source permanently.
Hence, recycling is the only way to save natural resources.
- Environmental preservation
The process of recycling the metal never causes the emission of any gas that can pollute the environment.
- Copper mining causes the emission of pollutant gases like sulphur dioxide. However, the miners minimise the pollution by converting the trapped sulphur dioxide into sulfuric acid. But there is some minimum emission.
- The energy requirement for copper recycling is just 10% of the energy necessary for the mining process. Hence, recycling is better for energy conservation.
Therefore, if you consider the measures to stop environmental pollution, you have to opt for recycling.
- No requirement for landfills
Every year, household and commercial wastes are increasing. Undoubtedly, it is exerting a lot of pressure on landfill sites all across the country. The steady filling of the holes increases the cost of filling up the rest of the holes. Why add to the problem when copper recycling can be the better solution to the issue. Instead of disposing of the used copper in the landfills, allow recycling to re-use the metal for another product manufacturing.
- Cheaper solution
The cost factor is always the prime decisive factor for every industrial operation. It is true that the cost of mining copper has decreased significantly over the past few years. But the recycling process is still much cheaper than the mining procedure. Hence, extraction of copper from the ore is never the preferred mode of procuring the metal when there is already an option available at a lower cost.
- Boosting local economy
Do you know how many job openings have developed owing to the higher demand for copper recycling? If you consider the economic aspect, there is a boost in the entire economy chain with recycling.
- Scrap metal collectors are now making huge profits.
- You can enhance the profit level too by using recycled metal that will be effective in cost reduction.
- Many people are getting jobs and handsome salaries in the recycling chain.
- Technicians have got a vast platform to try further developments with technological progress.
With so many developments around, the economic growth of the country is certain.
Play your part
Copper is a metal that you can recycle regularly and eliminate the need for mining further. With copper recycling, you confirm your contribution to preserving natural resources and the economic development of the entire community.
