Although there are scrap metal businesses like ours operating in every state around Australia, Australians don’t have a great record when it comes to scrap metal recycling. During the 2015 Clean Up Australia Day in Victoria, 3,135 tons of rubbish was removed and 16% (501.6 tonnes) of that was metal left in illegal dumping sites. While dumping scrap metal might seem like an easy way to avoid the cost of professional disposal, it’s one of the most environmentally harmful types of rubbish. Here are 5 key reasons why you should never dump scrap metal.
Environmental pollution
Dumped car bodies and even household appliances like fridges and heating units can leach dangerous toxic chemicals into the environment if not properly disposed of. When you choose to dump your old car for example, you are essentially choosing to release chemicals including petrol, oil, diesel, coolants, brake and transmission fluids as well as battery acid into your local environment.
A potential hazard
In addition to the chemicals associated with larger metal objects, dumped metal dumped in bushland is known to spontaneously combust and can become the source of wildfires in dry areas. When metal is dumped in rivers and waterways, it also becomes a hazard to swimmers and wildlife which can become trapped.
You’re encouraging others to litter
When you dump a large metal object into the environment, you are sending a visible message to others that this particular site is okay to dump rubbish in and it’s likely that others follow suit. Often discarded metal household items and cars are the first items on an illegal dumpsite and once they appear, other people will be encouraged to leave their own waste there too. This creates a problem for the community and the local environment.
It’s illegal and can carry a heavy fine, or even jail time
In Victoria, an individual found illegally dumping rubbish of any sort can be fined up to $610,700 by the courts and can face up to 7 years’ imprisonment.
You’re losing out on a source of income
Perhaps the most counterintuitive part about dumping scrap metal is that scrap metal companies offer a disposal option that is easy, legal, and can actually earn your money. Metal Men Recycling offer free scrap collection services for everything from small pieces of household scrap through to motor vehicles and construction refuse. We pay fair prices for all of the metal we collect so next time you have metal refuse you want to get rid of, call our scrap metal pickup service on 03 5941 6677.
