Greentech Lead U.S: As America celebrated the 15th annual
Recycles Day, the recycling industry in the country is anticipating for a
significant growth.
Among all the materials, steel is the most recycled
material in the world, according to RHINO Steel Building Systems.
According to the Green Team, the steel industry recycles 19 billion steel
cans each year — about 600 cans per second. Eighty million tons of steel
are recycled annually in North America.
According to Green Team, every ton of steel recycled
saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of
limestone.
Steel is economical to recycle because its magnetic
qualities make it easy to separate from the solid waste stream. Steel
does not lose any of its inherent qualities of strength, regardless of how many
times it is recycled. Metals like steel are always welcomed by recyclers.
Recycled steel is a very environmentally-friendly
construction material. Prefabricated metal building systems are
manufactured to take full advantage of the strength of steel, so fewer building
pieces are needed. The building components are cut, welded, and drilled
at the factory to reduce waste at the job site. If there is any steel left
at the end of the project, it can be sold as scrap and recycled again.
Steel buildings can last decades longer than other
building materials. At the end of a steel building’s usefulness, the
steel framing can be recycled and reused again, instead of ending up in a
landfill.
Other most common recycled materials are aluminum, glass,
paper and composting material.
Aluminum can be recycled using 5 percent of the energy
used to make the original product. Nearly 20 cans out of recycled material can
be made with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new one.
Recycling 1 glass bottle saves enough energy to light a
100-watt light bulb for 4 hours. Recycling saves 25-30 percent of the energy
used to make glass from virgin materials.
Americans throw away 22 billion plastic bottles per year.
Five recycled plastic bottles make enough fiberfill to stuff a sky jacket.
Americans use more than 67 million tons of paper per
year, or 580 pounds per person. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees. One
tree can filter up to 60 pounds of pollutants from the air each year. More than
1/3 of all paper fiber used to make paper comes from recycled paper.