The cost associated with mining virgin ore far outweighs the cost of melting down scrap and turning it into a new product. Not to mention the effect that mining raw material has on our environment.
Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours — or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline. On average, American Metals recycles 33 million aluminum cans (1 million pounds) each year. This is equivalent to saving 16.5 million gallons of gasoline.
Recycling steel reduces mining waste by 97%, air pollution by 86% and water pollution by 76%. On average, American Metals recycles 48.5 million pounds of steel every year.