Metals are elements that start out as rocks called ores. It takes a lot of energy to mine, grind, and heat them to get the parts we want. This process is very energy intensive and invasive to our Earth. To reduce this environmental impact, recycling metals is important.
However, NOT all metal can go into your curbside recycling cart! The only metals accepted curbside are clean aluminum and steel food-based items. These items include steel soup, vegetable, and pet food cans. Also accepted are aluminum beverage cans, foil, and other disposable aluminum cooking tins.
It’s important to remember that most recycling facilities are designed to capture items disposed of with regularity. So, aside from the steel and aluminum items mentioned above, other metals cannot be recycled curbside. This is because it is unlikely to be identified and sorted properly, and because of the danger it poses to the recycling workers and automated sorting machinery. While magnets and sorters may capture some items, small parts and sharp objects can be hidden. This contributes to dangerous work conditions and contamination.
Items that are not food related containers are considered "scrap metal”. These metals include copper, steel, brass, and iron. Examples of these scrap metals include lawn mowers, snow blowers, metal grills, bicycles, cast iron sinks/bathtubs, metal fencing, metal car parts, furniture, chains, etc.
Generally, there are two options for recycling scrap metal:
- Option 1: Bring your unwanted metals to a local scrap metal recycler. It’s always a good idea to call first to check availability.
- Option 2: If you do not have a way to transport scrap metal to a recycling facility, call your garbage hauler or a scrap metal recycler to see if they offer local pickup.
A helpful app to locate a scrapyard near you is the iScrap App.