With greenhouse gas emissions constantly on the rise, and climate scientist’s worldwide warning of the imminent effects of global warming, individuals and corporations alike are being asked to think about their carbon footprint and environmental impact.
Getting to know how you use energy is the first step to knowing how to cut your consumption. Carbon footprints for both domestic and commercial users can be broken down into two parts – direct energy use and indirect use.
Direct Energy Use
Direct use refers to direct sources of energy, for example; grid power consumption, petrol or diesel consumption, and natural gas consumption – these things are really easy to monitor because everyone is constantly paying for them.
Indirect Energy Use
However, the indirect energy uses often go underestimated, or overlooked entirely. Indirect consumption comes from everything we buy and use – goods and services. For example, should you have a weekly gardener maintain your yard, then there is energy use in the vehicle they drive and the equipment they use.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the detail of energy production and consumption. However, being conscious of your consumption, and aware of your options, is the first step in making a difference. The famous slogan Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is invaluable to the reduction of energy consumption and our carbon footprint.
Recycling Metals
Recycling is key to the overall reduction of resource consumption, energy usage, carbon emissions, and minimising landfill. Recycling household and commercial metals instead of adding them to landfill immediately reduces the amount of virgin materials that need to be mined, manufactured and processed.
Metal Recycling Saves
- Using one tonne of recycled steel rather than primary iron ore reduces carbon emissions by 2.1 tonnes
- Carbon emissions are reduced by 7.9 tonnes when you recycle just one tonne of aluminium
- For every tonne of computers recycled you can reduce carbon emission by approximately 4 tonnes.
Recyclable House Hold Items
The components of most of your large household appliances are made from valuable metals that can be recycled over and over again without loosing integrity. Whether they be Ferrous metal scrap (steel and iron) or non-ferrous metal scrap (aluminium, copper, and brass).
Recycling even the smallest of items can collectively save tonnes of landfill space, not to mention reduce carbon emission from virgin material production.
- White goods: washers, dryers, stoves, ovens, fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dishwashers
- Computers
- Window Frames
- Bed Frames
- Pots, pans and cooking essentials
- Cans
Recyclable Construction Items
Commercial demolition and construction sites are gold mines for recyclable metals. The single biggest metal to be recycled is steel, contributing 95% of materials recycled. The remaining 5% is made up of non-ferrous components, mostly aluminium, stainless steel and copper. The list of commercial uses for metals is nearly endless, but here is just an idea how readily available the resources are.
- Steel can generally be thought of the material that makes the framework, including; buildings, bridges, ships, cars and more.
- Copper piping and wire is essential in electrical projects and is also used for its aesthetics
- Stainless steel takes on many forms in modern cities, including but not limited to; handrails, door and window fittings, street furniture, structural sections, lighting columns, lintels, masonry supports, springs, fasteners (bolts, nuts and washers) and wire
Site Cleaning and Scrap Metal Bins
Tall Inglots specialises in metal recycling from commercial and household sources. Their specialised services mean you can take the hassle out of your construction, renovation or spring clean while knowing you are doing your part for the environment.
Tall Inglots drop-off and pick-up their scrap metal bins making recycling a breeze. The large range of bin sizes available means there is a perfect match for any commercial site or household renovation.
Don’t have enough for a scrap metal bin? No worries, Tall Inglots offer a pick-up service! Not only will you being going one-up for the environment, but you can put a little cash back into your wallet! Metal recycling runs on a ‘by-back’ style system based on the Metal Exchange rate. That means cash in your hand for the metal in your house or commercial site! Easy!
Contact Tall Ingots today!