How to Reduce Metal Waste: 4 Tips for Businesses

When it comes to the business and the environment, many workplaces in many industries are trying to cultivate a better relationship with our natural world. In 2023, it is indeed important to try to do better, and to try to curb any practices that are potentially damaging to our environment. Our world is in a delicate situation, and there is no doubt that it is a delicate balance between the needs of business and the needs of the environment. One of the areas that businesses can focus on for improvement when it comes to sustainability is the reduction of metal waste. From encouraging a circular economy in the workplace to finding ways to sell scrap metal to be recycled, this article will explore the many ways to reduce metal waste.

scrap metal recycling

Conduct a Waste Audit

When you want to implement metal waste reduction as a strategy and principle within your business, it is important to know where you already stand in terms of metal waste. You can do this by conducting a waste audit of your workplace which in turn can evaluate current waste management systems, gather specific data about waste practices, and even find ways to save on waste costs. It is possible to conduct the audit yourself, or you can hire an external waste management expert to conduct it for you. Regardless of the route you choose, assessing the current state of your waste management practices can give you important insights into improvements that can be made for the benefit of the environment.

Educate and Train Employees

When you want to create a culture of sustainability within your business, you will need your employees on board. In fostering a sustainable environment, your employees are major players – you will need their active involvement and participation. This begins with employee education and training about the importance of reducing waste, sustainability, and having a positive impact on the environment.

There are many ways that you can encourage and engage your employees in sustainability programs in the workplace. Consider systems that recognise and reward sustainable employee actions and efforts, and offering opportunities for your employees to make their own suggestions about ways for the business to impact the environment.

When employees are well-trained and have a sense of ownership over sustainability in their place of work, this will help to implement positive change in the business overall.

Lean into the Circular Economy

The circular economy is a model that seeks to use products and materials for as long as it is viable. The model involves making, using, repairing, returning, reusing and of course, recycling. Underpinning all these principles is an emphasis on moving away from thinking about products as disposable. Instead, you can lean into the circular economy by considering durability as well as the potential for the product or material to be recycled or repaired. 

By adopting the principles of a circular economy, your business has the potential to extend the lifespan of metal products, and in doing so, help to reduce waste and conserve your materials and resources. This in turn is better for the environment and your business overall.

Recycle Scrap Metal

One of the major things you can do to reduce metal waste is actually to increase metal recycling.  When you want to establish a metal recycling program within your business, it is essential that this program is partnered with a reputable metal recycling facility, and that every team member and employee plays an active part. You can set up collection points for different types of metal within your workplace, including sorting these into aluminium, steel, and copper waste.

When your employees are on board with your sustainability principles, they will be able to help with identifying metal waste that can be recycled, and with sorting it. Then, the final step is to sell your scrap metal to a metal recycling specialist who will take care of the recycling for you. Metal recycling has so many benefits for the environment including saving unnecessary metal waste from landfill, and lowered carbon emissions.

An efficient recycling program can reduce metal waste for your business, which can have a greatly positive effect on both your workplace and the environment too.

Do You Need to Sell Scrap Metal?

If you’re ready to sell scrap metal, look no further than Metal Men Recycling. When it comes to scrap metal, we pride ourselves on being experts. If your business has a recycling program and needs to sell metal, we are here to help with all your metal recycling needs. We are a family-owned business with over 50 years of combined metal industry experience, so we can provide you with a complete and seamless experience from start to finish. As our motto says, if it’s metal, we want it!

When you have scrap metal to sell, give us a call at 03 5941 6677, or fill out our online contact form and we will be happy to get back to you.

3 Ways To Support Australian Recycling Industry

The future of the Australian recycling industry is a little shaky right now with local government and councils unsure how to handle the excess of waste and recycling. While they are figuring things out on the large scale, there are things you can do in your day-to-day life that can help our recycling industry. Not sure how you can help out? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this blog, we sharing tips on how to give recycling the boost it needs.

 

Why does the Australian recycling industry need support?

 

At the moment the Australian recycling industry has hit a hurdle after China stopped taking our recycling. Before the ban, we were sending 30% of our recycling to China and now we have to work out what to do with this excess. The concern is that companies don’t see the worth in recycling because they don’t believe it will be profitable. If nobody is processing our recycling then we risk sending it all to landfill and taking a colossal step backwards in caring for our environment. So supporting the recycling industry is another way of fighting for an environmentally sustainable Australia.

 

Buy recycling

 

Buying products made from recycled materials or using recycled materials for your business helps create a demand for recycled products. The recycling process can be complicated, so often recycled products cost a little more. For this reason, some companies choose not to use recycled materials. By buying recycled products you are sending a message that recycling is worth it. For now, the cost is a little higher but think of it as an investment in the environment.

Here is a list of Australian stores that sell recycled products:

 

  • Who Gives A Crap is an Australian company that uses 100% recycled material to take toilet paper, tissues and towels. Each roll has a cool, modern design and you can buy in bulk.
  • The Oxfam Shop has a range of recycled products from jewellery, bags, fashion, furniture and ornaments.
  • Greenline sells recycled paper as well as other office supplies.
  • Iameco makes computer accessories from recycled and eco-friendly materials.
  • Trex makes decking from 95% recycled wood and plastic film
  • Greentoys have 100% recycled toys for younger children

 

You can also keep an eye on your buying habits can make a difference. For example, instead of buying plastic bottles buy a sustainable water bottle. The same goes for coffee cups, you are doing the environment a favour by getting a keepcup.

 

Smart Recycling

A good way to support the Aussie recycling industry is to make sure you are recycling properly. Even if you think you know the best way to recycle it is worth testing your knowledge. You might learn something new. The basics of smart recycling are to search for the little recycling symbol before chucking it into your yellow bin.

To start you off here is a list of things you should recycle:

 

  • Basic containers and bottles
  • Glass bottles, containers
  • Metal cans and aluminium
  • Scrap paper, letters, newspapers and magazines
  • Cardboard

 

Things you shouldn’t be recycling:

 

  • Polystyrene
  • Take away containers
  • Shredded paper as it should go into your green bin
  • Styrofoam
  • Foil
  • Coffee cups
  • Glad wrap and plastic bags

 

 

Some things, like plastic bags, you’ll need to check in with your local services to see if they recycle it.

 

If you’re not sure how to throw something away properly then take a moment to look it up. Don’t take anything for granted, you’d be surprised. Did you know that massive amounts of clothing are dumped in landfills every ten minutes? If you have old clothes, no matter how ragged, you should drop them off into collection bins where they can find a new life with somebody in need. Before you throw unwanted clothes away think about how you can reuse them in the home. For example, you can turn an old t-shirt into a tote bag.

 

 

Raise Awareness

 

If you care about the environment and are concerned about what the lack of recycling will do to our beautiful earth then make some noise. Contact your local council and let them know. On a smaller scale, you can encourage your friends and family to speak out as well. Inspire them to support recycling and let them know if they are recycling the wrong way.

 

Are you looking to scrap some metal? You can earn some money by recycling your scrap metal. Metal Man Recycling picks up and buys scrap metal. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us on 03 5941 6677 today.

How Recycling Scrap Metal Helps The Environment

We all know recycling is important. But did you know the impact recycling scrap metal can have on our environment? In this blog, we break down the top four ways recycling scrap metal helps our planet. From reducing air pollution by 86% to decreasing consumer waste by 105%, there’s a lot to be gained from recycling scrap metal. 

 

Recycling metal helps reduce chemical pollution

Chemical pollution is a major problem for our planet today. Although there are many forms of chemical pollution, the term generally refers to the process by which chemicals are released into our environment, disrupting the balance of our ecosystems, polluting our air, threatening our health and contaminating our food. By recycling scrap metal, we reduce the need to ship metal from other countries, which decreases the fuel and emissions caused by long-distance transportation.

Decreased need for landfill sites

Landfill sites are one of the largest sources of chemical and visual pollution. In Australia, there is a heavy reliance on landfill as a form of waste management. In fact, between 2007 and 2007, the volume of waste deposited to landfill increased by 12%. But by recycling items such as scrap metals, we decrease the need for landfill sites, resulting in better air, water and land quality.

Recycling scrap metal helps prevent visual pollution

Metal is produced through mining metal ores. However, most metals are found in barren areas. By recycling scrap metal, we can reduce mining and the subsequent destruction of wildlife and formerly pristine landscapes. This will lessen the overall visual pollution involved in metal mining.

Less energy is used

Generating metal for raw materials is incredibly energy intensive. In fact, it takes approximately the same amount of energy to make 20 cans from recycled metal as it does to make one can from raw materials. By using recycled metal instead of natural resources, one can save more than 75% on energy bills for metals such as aluminium and copper.

While global warming hasn’t stopped, it’s on the decline. Due to efforts, such as recycling scrap metal, we can continue on this trajectory. 

At Metal Men Recycling, we’re passionate about creating a better planet for our future. As expert scrap metal buyers, we help our planet and you by providing cash for scrap metal. To be part of the change, contact us at 03 5941 6677.

Metal Men’s Guide to Household Recycling

Most Australian households have a designated recycling bin provided by their local council, which makes recycling easier than ever, however it’s important to know which items to put in this bin, which items need to be dropped off at/picked up by special collectors, and which belong with the rest of the rubbish. In this blog, we provide a few handy tips that will help you recycle more efficiently and effectively.

What can be recycled?

There are many different materials that can be recycled using your kerbside recycling bin, including glass (think wine and other drink bottles, jars, old pharmaceutical bottles etc.), hard plastic (takeaway food containers, empty toiletry bottles and jars, empty cleaning product bottles, milk bottles, yoghurt and ice cream tubs) and paper and cardboard (including cereal boxes, biscuit boxes, egg cartons, scrap office paper, old notebooks etc.). Metal items (such as aluminium cans, aerosols, baked bean and other food cans, pet food cans, alfoil etc.) can also be recycled, however you may want to collect these items separately so that they can be taken to your local scrap metal dealer, as this is a fantastic way to earn some extra cash while doing your bit for the environment.

What should be kept out?

Recyclables don’t have to be spotless before they’re put in the recycling bin, however it’s important to make an effort to remove the bulk of food scraps. Refrain from bagging your recyclables, as plastic bags cannot be recycled and could result in your recycling being lumped in with the rest of the landfill. There are also various recyclable items that have their own specific collection programs/centres. Green waste has its own kerbside collection dates, along with drop-off centres, depending on your council, as does eWaste (old electronics like phones, TVs and computers), old furniture and other household items, and waste construction materials like timber, bricks and rubble. For items that are still in good condition, consider donating to your local op-shop or holding a garage sale.

What about scrap metal?

As mentioned earlier, small household metal items can be exchanged for cash at your local scrap metal dealer. In addition to these items, other forms of scrap metal like old car parts (including batteries), copper wiring, copper and/or brass piping, door fittings and whitegoods can also be sold to reputable scrap metal dealers.

By implementing an organised recycling system at home, you’ll not only be doing your bit for the environment, but you’ll also create the opportunity to earn some extra pocket money. Metal Men Recycling accept all kinds of scrap metal and even offer a 24 hour pickup service for larger items.

How to Make Recycling Fun for Kids

In the interests of promoting sustainability and joining the war on waste, it’s a good idea to recycle wherever possible. When recycling at home, be sure to get your kids involved and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices. One of the best ways to get your kids to practice regular recycling is to make the process as fun as possible, so we’ve come up with a few tips to make recycling around the home an exciting and educational experience.

Start early and lead by example

One of the best ways to get kids into a recycling mindset is to lead by example and expose them to your own recycling habits. Set up recycling bins where your children can see them and talk to them about the process whenever they observe you recycling e.g. “plastics go in the blue bin, paper in the green bin and metals or e-waste in the red.” Soon, your children will want to join in themselves to see if they can correctly select the right bin!

Convenience is key

The key to getting your kids into recycling is to make it as convenient as possible for them, so it’s a good idea to have several different bins throughout the house. For example, you may have marked recycling bins in the kitchen, one in the bathroom or toilet for old toilet rolls, and one in their bedroom for waste paper.

Turn it into a game

Matching recyclables to different coloured bins is just one of the many ways you can turn recycling into a fun game for your children. You may even want to expand on your recycling efforts by taking them outside the home, encouraging picking up litter in public parks, collecting aluminium cans, and even hiring or buying a metal detector for trips to the beach. Make little games out of each task by offering rewards for whoever collects the most recyclables.

Explain and educate

Of course, there is little point in getting your kids to recycle if they don’t understand why they’re doing it. Educate your children about the importance of recycling, along with how to reduce consumption and practice sustainability. You may even want to take them on a day trip to a local recycling plant, or a metal recycling facility so they can observe the recycling process.

If you’ve got scrap metal lying around the home, exchange it for cash with Metal Men Recycling (and feel free to bring your kids along for the experience). Metal Men Recycling gladly accept all kinds of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, including iron, steel, copper, aluminium, brass and more.