SCRAP METAL RECYCLING

Scrap is used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicle, building supplies, and surplus materials. It is always confused with waste, but the fact is that scrap has significant monetary value. Overall, the scrap industry processes more than 145,000,000 short tons.

How Scrap is Processed

The sources of scrap metal can be from businesses and homes as well.  To properly dispose of it, a ‘’scraper’’ will advertise his services to conveniently remove scrap metal for people who don’t need it, or need to get rid of it.

Scrap is often brought to a wrecking yard, it also known as scrap yard, Jung yard or breakers yard where it is processed for later melting into products. Depending on the location of a wrecking yard, it may allow to browse their lot and purchase items before they are sent to the smelters. Although many scrap yard that deal in large quantities of scrap usually do not, often selling the entire units such as engine or machinery by weight with no regard to their functional status. Customers are typically required to supply all of their own tools and labour to extract parts, and some scrap yards may first require waiving liability for personal injury before entering. Many scrap yards also sell bulk metals by weight, often at prices substantially below the retail purchasing costs of similar pieces.

Scrap yards typically sell everything by weight, rather than by item. To the scrap yard, the primary value of the scrap is what the smelter will give them for it, rather than the value of whatever shape the metal may be. An auto wrecker in the other hand, would price exactly the same scrape based on what it weighs. Typically, if a wrecker cannot sell something above the value of the metal in it, they would then take it to the scrap yard and sell it by weight. Equipments containing parts of various metals can often be purchased at a prize below that of either of the metals, due to saving the scrap yard the labour of separating the metals before shipping them to be recycled.

Importance of recycling scrap metals

Recycling scrap metals can be beneficial to the environment .Using recycled scrap metal in place of virgin iron ore can yield,

§  75% savings in energy

§  90% savings in raw materials used

§  86% reduction in air pollution

§  40% reduction in water use

§  76% reduction in water pollution

§  79% reduction in mining wastes

Every tonne of new steel made from scrap steel saves:

§  1,115kg of iron ore

§  625kg of coal

§  53kg of limestone

Energy saving from other metals includes:

§  Aluminium savings of 95% energy

§  Copper savings of 85% energy

§  Lead savings of 65% energy

§  Zinc savings of 60% energy.

PAPER RECYCLING

Paper is made from cellulose fiber, the source of which can be pulped wood, or variety of other materials such as rags, cotton, grasses, sugar cane, straw, waste paper or even elephant dung. It is one of the most versatile and important materials used in homes, schools, offices and business throughout the world. Each day we enjoy the benefits of paper products. The paper we use for homework and business purposes, the documents that mark the significant achievements of our lives, the newspaper we read in the morning, and the box that holds our cereal, all contribute to our daily quality of life.

Paper dates back over 2,000 years, they were using hand made production methods until the 19^th century. The industrialization of the paper making process help to bring education and books to a broad spectrum of people, and continued advances have resulted in better and more efficient products that meets our daily needs, while leaving a smaller footprint on our environment.

Paper recycling is the process of getting waste paper and turning it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstock for making recycled paper, these are; mill broke pre-consumer waste and pos-consumer waste.

Mill Broke: These are paper trimmings and other paper scrap from the manufacture of paper, and is recycled internally in a paper mill.

Pre-Consumer Waste: These are waste materials which left the paper mill but were discarded before they were ready for consumer use.

Post-Consumer Waste: These are materials discarded after consumer use, such as old corrugated containers, old magazines, old newspapers, office paper, old telephone directories, and residential mixed paper. Paper suitable for recycling is called “scrap paper”. The industrial process of removing printing ink from paper fibers of recycled paper to make de-ink pulp is called de-inking.

Paper is one of the easiest materials to recycle. We all take part in the first step of paper recycling process and this is achieved when we take the time to separate our paper and place it in the recycling box.

·        The next step is achieved when the local authorities and waste management companies send a recycling truck over to pick up the paper and bring it to the processing facilities.

·        After the above step comes the sorting. The paper is placed on a moving conveyor to be sorted by hand because there are different grades of recycled paper.

·        Once the paper has been sorted it is then baled to make the transport and storage more convenient.

·        The paper is then delivered to a processing mill.

PROCESSING

·        At the processing mill, the paper is soaked in water. It is then shaken to release the fibers to return them to their pulp state. 

·        The paper is then screened, cleaned and de-inked, it is important to de-ink at this stage, if not we will be left with a dull, grey paper. There are three ways to de -ink;

I-Chemicals are added to the water to separate the ink from the pulp and then huge quantities of water are added to flush out this ink.

II- Air is short through the pulp. This process creates foam containing about half of the ink. The foam is then skimmed off leaving clearer water. This process breaks down water and oxygen on disposal, so it is the most acceptable.

III- The pulp is bleached using hydrogen peroxide or chlorine. This process is less acceptable since the chlorine combines with organic matter to produce toxic pollutants.

 

·        It is then ready to be made into new paper products such as newsprints, cardboard, packaging, tissue and office items.

The process in recycling of paper which involves changing old paper into new paper requires a significant amount of energy. From the de-ink process above water and chemical are used, but these amount are much less than they would be in the manufacture of virgin paper. Unfortunately, the same paper cannot be recycled indefinitely. Each time the fibers are pulped, they get shorter and shorter and lose their paper making qualities. A fiber can be recycled four to six times before it disintegrates. The quality of paper produced will vary depending on the percentages of recycled and virgin paper used in its production.

By recycling paper, we help save our forest from being destroyed while at the same time we help cut down on the environmental damage caused when we turn trees into paper.

RECYCLING OLD CDs

If you can remember when CDs first came out, we all thought they were practically indestructible. Not like records or tapes (which tangled and snagged).But CDs do get scratched and unreadable. And you do get CDs filled with old files that you no longer need, or even CDs that are out of date or contain music that you now can't stand. Instead of disposing them in a bin,you can recycle them and do it creatively. Pick up a CD and hold it in the light. Look at it with a child's eye or an artist's eye (or even a jackdaw's). At times, it's silvery and almost mirror like. At other angles, it's iridescent. It's made of lightish plastic that can be cut with a stout craft knife or a small saw, it can be drilled easily and epoxy and hot melt glue both stick to it very well.

These days, using recycled materials as a fashion statement is becoming more and more common. And old CDs have a lot of potential for craft and for fashionable accessories.

Mirror balls: Whether you want one for mood lighting or for a disco party, you can make your own with old CDs. First of all, you will need a ball of some description - a ball of (hopefully recycled) polystyrene is best, but any ball that can take glue (epoxy or hot melt) will do. You will also need to be able to attach a wire securely to the ball so you can hang it up when you're finished. Cut your old CDs up into pieces (don't try and stick them on whole) and glue them all over the ball. Let the glue set. These are even better, in some ways, than the old mirror balls, as old CDS can cast a rainbow effect.

Jewellery: CDs resemble mother-of-pearl somewhat, and are easier to obtain and to work. Cut them up and make them into necklaces, earrings, bracelets and keyrings. As long as you have a sturdy enough knife, a drill to make fine holes in them and something to thread them on (bead shops and craft shops are a good place to source things such as earring fittings, clasps and keyrings, plus things like leather thongs and chains. The only limit here is the number of old CDs you want to reuse and your imagination. Using whole CDs as feature elements on a rather glitzy belt might be a bit over the top. How about cutting some into small circles and making buttons or sequins? If you've tried belly-dancing, how about decorating a coin belt or other parts of a costume with pieces of CDs? How about completely covering a shirt with old CDs for a fancy-dress party?

Even if you're not into glittery jewellery or disco mirror balls, you can find a use for old CDs in your garden. Remember the old technique of keeping birds away from a seed bed or from a fruit tree by hanging up bits of aluminum foil (such as milk bottle tops) on string? CDs, either whole or in pieces, can be put to this sort of use. Old CDs have one big advantage over bits of aluminum, as they are more durable and don't tear off as easily as flimsy aluminum bits do.

Old CDs can also be cut into pieces (shaped, if you like) and made into a mobile to hang above a baby's crib. You could also incorporate them into a wind-chime, either as glittery elements or as things that strike little bells or tubes.

Old CDs can be used whole or in pieces as Christmas tree decorations. Either use them "as is" or decorate them further. With the use of a jig-saw, CDs can be cut into shapes (stars, flowers, etc) and used in scrapbooking. Small squares or slivers of CDs can be glued onto a picture frame in a mosaic effect.

If you're really good with your hands, you could even use pieces of old CDs as decorative insets in woodwork. If you can do it with mother of pearl or shell, you can do it with old CDs.