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THE BASICS OF METAL WASTE
May 14, 2025
THE ESSENCE
Metal is a valuable and finite resource.
Metal waste might not sound like a personal or household problem, but the burgeoning presence of—and growing demand for—smartphones, computers, stainless steel water bottles, home appliances, and newly invented personal gadgets defy that assumption. In fact,
metal waste and climate change are intertwined
due to the enormous demand on resources that are necessary for the mining and production of metal, as well as to the toxins and greenhouse gas emissions that are generated as a consequence of improper disposal of metal products.
THE DETAILS
Both the mining & processing and the improper discarding of metal have a significant negative impact on the environment—and ultimately, on humans. That means, we as individuals must be mindful of both:
  1. the volume and frequency of our demand for new products containing metal
  2. the way we dispose such products (i.e. commit to recycling, instead of just throwing it away)
Essentially, our own behavior of high demand, reckless disposal, and waste of metal products affect our own livesmdash;through the environmental impacts that affect the land, our food supply, water supply, the air we breathe … and, ultimately, our lifestyle.
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IMPACTS OF METAL MINING & PROCESSING,
AND
IMPACTS OF METAL WASTE
  • ABOUT METAL
    • Mined from the ground of the Earth in the form of metal ore (i.e. large chunks of earth, containing some metal) ⟶ Metal is separated (smelted) from the ore ⟶ Transported to various facilities to be processed further, and made into various products (industrial and consumer goods)
    • Metal is a valuable and finite resource
      (because the ground of the Earth is not unlimited)
    • Metal is used in both: industrial projects and consumer goods (with significantly increased demand for consumer goods in the past couple of decades)
    • Higher‑and‑higher consumer demand (e.g. electronics, phones, stainless steel water bottles, etc.) ⟹ More‑and‑more mining ⟹ Less‑and‑less capacity of metal in the ground of the Earth ⟶ Little metal recycling ⟹ More‑and‑more significant environmental pollution and climate change ⟹ More‑and‑more negative impact on food‑ and water supply, and on human health
    • The
      only way to significantly reduce metal mining and its corresponding environmental and human damage is recycling metals, because
      :
      • Recycled metals are used for producing new products ⟹ Avoids the need for mining new metals for those products ⟹ avoids the corresponding negative environmental and human impacts
    • The capacity of the ground of the Earth to provide ever more metal ore is finite
    • The human body’s ability to handle polluted air, food, and water is also finite
    • The effects of increasing environmental pollution and climate change on humans can reach the point of irreversibility, if not handled in advance
  • IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
    • The mining and the smelting (separating the metal from the ore that was mined from the Earth) require extreme amounts of energy and resources ⟹ generate harmful carbon‑dioxide (CO2) into the air that we breathe.
    • The explosives that are used for extracting metal ores from the ground can release carbon‑monoxide (CO)
    • Mining disrupts ecosystems, causing the release of harmful substances into the environment (that were previously naturally stored inside those ecosystems—away from humans).
    • Discarded metal products (that people don’t use any more) end up in landfills and in various places. ⟹ Metal waste can leach heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and mercury into the soil and water ⟹ Contaminating our drinking water and agricultural produce.
    • Landfills worldwide are reaching capacity, and the non‑biodegradable nature of metals occupy enormous space ⟹ Increases the need for ever‑greater land for landfills, reducing the availability of land for other purposes
    • Discarding metal products (e.g. phones) that are still in mint condition (or still in their useful life) multiplies the need for more mining and more smelting in order to fulfill consumers’ demand for new products more often.
    • Then, the cycle of mining, smelting, ecosystem disruption, habitat destruction, and carbon emissions keep repeating at ever greater frequency ⟹ Literally causing greater and greater damage to the Earth and to the atmosphere.
    • Improper disposal of metal products leads to incineration (a process that releases greenhouse gases) … which in turn, exacerbates climate change.
  • IMPACTS ON HUMANS
    (Ultimately, all harmful effects of metal mining, smelting, and improper disposal come back to hurt us, humans: our health, our everyday way of life, and that of future generations.)
    • The harmful carbon emissions into the air causes respiratory problems for people (as well as animals)
    • Toxins from metal leached into the:
      • Soil: contaminate our food supply, as well as the food for animals (which then also becomes food for humans)
      • Water: contaminate our drinking water, which can cause a multitude of health problems
    • While the populations of some regions of the Earth are still less noticeably affected today than others, ultimately everybody is affected … because the air and the water cannot be contained to specific countries. They envelop the whole Earth. And, when everybody on Earth will notice these effects, it will not be possible to just turn it back.
  • INTERESTING FACTS
    • Metal is extracted from non‑renewable metal ores (mined out of the earth)
    • Recycled metals capitalize on already extracted metals to produce new consumer goods, so no new metals have to be mined to produce those goods ⟵ Good for the Earth ⟵ Good for the environment ⟵ Good for human health
    • Take a souvenir fridge magnet
      from your refrigerator door:
      With it, you can easily assess whether the type of metal you are about to recycle is non‑ferrous (very valuable) or ferrous (less valuable).

      • If it doesn’t stick to your metal, it’s a non‑ferrous, valuable metal ⟹ scrap yards pay more money for it
      • If it sticks to your metal, it’s ferrous less valuable. BUT: you still do good by recycling it, which prevents environmental harm ⟹ causes that much less negative impacts on humans (such as yourself)
    • Savings of carbon emissions and energy consumption by recycling:
      • Aluminum
        • ≤ 95% carbon‑dioxide reduction by recycling
        • ≤ 95% energy savings by recycling
      • Steel
        • ≤ 60% carbon‑dioxide reduction by recycling
        • ≤ 60‑75% energy savings by recycling
      • ⟶ next
      • ⟵ back
      • ⟹ consequently
      • ⟸ as said before
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SEE MORE
WHAT CAN
YOU
DO ABOUT IT?
Although metal mining, smelting, and production is necessary to some extent in order to fulfill our various needs on a personal (as well as infrastructural) basis, the extent can be reduced even by individuals and households. Metal consumption is not only an industrial need, but a personal one, too … just consider the ever‑growing plethora of smartphones, laptops, the proliferation of stainless steel water bottles, and more.
INCREASE THE USEFUL LIFE OF YOUR GADGETS THAT CONTAIN METAL
Using products longer decreases the frequency of buying new ones, which in turn, lowers the need for mining and smelting more metals. By doing so, you help reduce mining-generated pollution—and with that, reduce climate change.
Some metal products are made for long-term, multiple use while others are disposable for one-time use (e.g. reusable baking pan vs. disposable aluminum pan)
Buy the type of products that are suitable for long-term reuse.
BUY LONG‑TERM‑USE PRODUCTS: Not All Metal Products Are Created Equal
RECYCLE OLD PRODUCTS and SCRAP METAL & GET MONEY FOR IT (instead of throwing them away)
This will allow your old gadget to be manufactured into some type of new product without the need to mine and smelt more metal from the Earth.
Recycling also prevents metals from leaching toxins into the soil—and into our food system and our drinking water.
It will also limit the need for further increasing land area to be occupied by landfills (where significant amount of space is occupied by irresponsibly discarded metal).
Get MONEY for recycling by taking your scrap and no-longer-needed metals to metal scrap yards. (Just be sure to call them first for instructions.)
Pay attention to the underlying material when you buy new products, and decide whether there is a less nature-harming option—by doing so, you reduce the level of harm ultimately coming back to you (through the air, food, and everything you consume)
MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS ABOUT THE TYPE OF PRODUCTS YOU BUY
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We don’t advocate zero household waste.
We advocate being mindful about waste.
What actions will YOU take?
For your present & future
For the children’s future
For the grandchildren’s future, and so on
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