From car parts to paper clips, steel is in many of the items we discard — and it can be recycled
At Junk King, we care about helping you go green. Refurbishing steel is just another way we recycle 60 percent of the items we haul.
Most people don’t think about steel as a recyclable substance. Paper, plastics and aluminum would take precedence. Steel doesn’t even seem like the kind of material we tend to use in our products anymore.
Related: What is North America's most recycled material?
Look around
Surprisingly, you can find steel in a lot of places. Most cars still use steel for frames and panels.
Often large appliances, such as refrigerators and stoves, are made out of steel. Even smaller items such as cans, nails, screws, paper clips and staples still come in steel.
Finally, let’s not forget “stainless” steel. Many knife sets and kitchen utensils are made of the stainless variety. And you usually find surgical equipment in stainless steel because of its sterile qualities.
RELATED: Recycle metal waste, reduce your environmental impact
Steel recycling
Steel goes through a four-step process for recycling:
1. The steel is separated from other materials using magnets.
2. Often steel products have a layer of tin that must be removed. This involves dunking the steel into a solution that dissolves the tin.
3. Then large furnaces melt the scraps of steel. The liquid metal goes through a pressing process that turns the steel into thin sheets.
4. Once reformatted into these blank sheets, the steel can be used to create new products. The reused metal doesn’t degrade throughout the process and can be infinitely recycled.
More ways to go green
The Angie’s List Guide to Green Living
Steel has staying power
Many materials lose some structural integrity during recycling, but once steel melts it can be used again and again.
If you have leftover car parts, broken-down appliances or just junk made of steel, Junk King of North Texas can help by hauling it away and recycling 100 percent of the metal.
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As of January 28, 2015, this service provider was highly rated on Angie's List. Ratings are subject to change based on consumer feedback, so check Angie's List for the most up-to-date reviews. The views expressed by this author do not necessarily reflect those of Angie's List.
