MAY 25, 2022
It is no secret that in a world where the age of consumerism is more prominent than ever, there exists a pressing need for everyone to recycle. RCM Recycling is a scrap metal company specializing in all types of scrap metal recycling. But where did metal recycling start?
The history is controversial as some historians believe recycling began thousands of years ago while others trace it back to 1885. We will start with 1885.
The first incinerator in the United States was built in 1885 in New York City. The incinerator burned garbage and produced ashes that were used as fertilizer. In the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, most scrap metals were buried in landfills. Some metals were burned for fuel, but this practice was limited because of safety concerns with toxic fumes and air pollution. In some cases, scrap metal was recycled into new products by melting it down and casting it into new shapes. However, this process required a lot of energy and produced even more pollution than burning it would have done.
Waste was just buried or burned. Scrap metal companies were not interested in buying any old junk because there was no money in it for them – at least not enough to make it worth their while. This practice was common because there was no way to extract valuable metals from junk cars or other scrap metals.
The history of metal recycling dates back to the 19th century. In 1904, aluminum recycling factories opened in the United States and Europe to increase the growing demand for aluminum products.
As the need for raw materials grew, so did the need for scrap metal recycling services. It wasn't until World War II that scrap metal recycling took off. The war effort created a high demand for scrap metals like copper, brass, and lead used in munitions manufacturing. As a result, scrap yards popped up all over the United States as people sought ways to make money from their unwanted items that were no longer needed or wanted by manufacturers or consumers alike.
In 1920, the first US scrap metal company opened in Chicago, Illinois, marking a major shift toward recycling scrap metals rather than burying them or burning them for fuel. Some of these initial recycling methods still exist today, such as:
The invention of electric arc furnaces made it possible for companies to extract valuable metals from their waste products by melting them down into liquid form. By 1927, there were many scrap metal recycling companies in the United States alone, most of which were located in major cities like Chicago and New York City, where there were large populations that generated waste products such as old cars and appliances that could be melted down for their valuable materials like aluminum and steel.
Scrap metal companies were set up to collect discarded metal objects and melt them into new products. As technology advanced, so did metal recycling methods.
Today, many different types of recycled metals can be used for various purposes. Some metals need to be melted down before being used again, while others can be reused without melting them down first.
RCM Recycling can meet all your scrap metal recycling needs. Contact us today for all your recycling needs.
