Recycling Across the Industry

Cans: The Food and Drug Administration recently proposed a ban on the use of lead solder used to seal side seams of food and beverage cans. The move would only affect foreign can manufacturers because U.S. food and beverage can manufacturers stopped making lead-soldered cans in 1991.

Cars: According to Garbage magazine, over the past 20 years, Kentucky community groups working with the state have collected and sold approximately 41,000 abandoned out-of-service cars to ferrous scrap dealers. Recycling cars raises money for the groups, cleans up the environment and creates jobs.

Appliances: The Allegheny County Department of Waste Management, along with U.S. Steel Group, Duquesne Light, and Tube City Inc., are hosting a special fall clean-up program for steel appliances and other scrap metal items. The annual event, now in its second year, will be held on October 23rd and 30th at different sites across Pittsburgh and Allegheny county. Last year, organizers collected more than 100 tons of steel appliances for recycling.

Construction Materials: More and more builders are turning to steel framing for homes instead of wood. In addition to being lighter and easier to assemble, steel framing is termite and vermin proof, noncombustible, and withstands seismic or earthquake activity better than wood framing. Steel framing has virtually 100 percent recycled steel, and it’s fully recyclable when the structure is ultimately demolished. (Also very important, it’s easy to hand pictures because the studs can be located with a magnet.)