U.S. residents are encouraged to recycle many different materials, but they’ve learned they can get paid for recycling aluminum and other scrap metal, while not being able to get money for items like glass and plastic. They’ve also discovered that aluminum is the most consistent recyclable material in regard to demand and pricing. If they bring a big load of empty beverage cans to Scrap Aluminum Recyclers in Baltimore MD, they’ll get more than they would if they bring in a load of scrap iron, even if the iron weighs substantially more. They’ll get nothing at all if they bring a load of glass to a recycling facility. Why is aluminum more valuable than scrap iron and glass?
Aluminum vs. Iron
Manufacturers welcome recycled iron, but the metal corrodes and must be treated to eliminate rust before it can be reused. That means additional costs in the process. Also, iron is remarkably more heavy than aluminum, making it much pricier to ship. Freight costs essentially eliminate any cash that recycling facilities could pay people to bring in this material.
Aluminum vs. Glass
Recycled glass is valuable for manufacturers, as they can obtain the material more cheaply than they would have to pay for new glass. However, as with iron, shipping costs are more expensive since glass weighs significantly more than aluminum. In fact, a glass container typically is more than 10 times heavier than an aluminum can with similar volume. About the only way consumers can get cash for glass is if a deposit had been paid on the bottle.
The Advantages of Aluminum
Aluminum doesn’t rust or break down in any way. Its fundamental features remain the same forever. Manufacturers can save a great deal of money by purchasing recycled aluminum over new metal. In addition, aluminum is lightweight and costs less to ship than most other recyclable materials. For these reasons, Scrap aluminum recyclers in Baltimore MD have been able to pay consumers a reasonable amount of money per pound of aluminum for many decades. Anyone who wants to start bringing empty beverage cans to a facility for cash may take them to a place such as Mid-Atlantic Metals.
