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RECYCLING FACTS: Scrap Recycling was a $65 billion industry in the US in 2006, with 50,000 employees.
There are 150 million tons of scrap materials recycled annually in the US, including: 81.4 million tons of Iron and Steel, 4.5 million tons of Aluminum, 1.8 million tons of Copper, and 1.4 million tons of Stainless Steel.
Specification-grade scrap metal is a raw material for U.S. manufacturing:
- 2 out of 3 pounds of steel made in the U.S. is manufactured using ferrous scrap.
- 60% of the metals and alloys produced in the U.S. are made from nonferrous scrap.
- 33% of U.S. aluminum supply comes from recycled materials
Scrap has been an important export commodity from the U.S. for more than a century. In 2006, $15.7 billion worth of scrap commodities were exported, helping U.S. trade balances. Scrap is the United States’ second largest export to China in dollar value. The U.S. exports scrap to 143 countries, including China, Canada, South Korea, Mexico and Germany.
Scrap metal recycling reduced greenhouse gas emissions by requiring significantly less energy to manufacture products from recyclables than virgin ore and by avoiding landfilling.
Scrap recycling diverts 145 million tons of materials away from landfills each year.
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