Scrap and recycle business

BIG CORPORATIONS TO GO GREEN

            The non-alcoholic beverage giant, Coca Cola is aiming to recycle or reuse all the Aluminium beverage cans that they sell in America. At present, Coca Cola uses about 60% recycled Aluminium in its beverage cans. Coca Cola has already set a goal to recycle or reuse 100 percentages of its PET plastic bottles.

              The largest beverage producers announced that they will be spending a whooping $60 million in a series of recycling initiatives and in building the world’s largest PET bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. The 30 acre recycling plant is expected to produce the equivalent of nearly 2 billion 20 ounce Coca Cola bottles via recycled PET when it opens in 2009.

              Coca Cola Enterprises-Inc launched Coca Cola recycling LLC in the year 2007 to recover and recycle all the packaging materials used by them. “By the end of 2008, Coca Cola recycling will recycle more than 100 million pounds each of PET and Aluminium”, said Mr. John Burgess, the President and Chief operating officer of Coca-Cola recycling.

            However Coca Cola now focuses on the “greener side of life”.

            PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and non-alcoholic Beverage Company also play an important role in recycling. All Pepsi containers are designed to be recyclable. More than 50% of the Pepsi containers were recycled in 2000. Pepsi beverage containers are recycled at a rate of 48 million per day. Moreover, Pepsi created a program called “Performance with purpose” to help sustain the environment while continuing profit and growth. The purpose of this program includes three goals: environment sustainability, human knowledge of issues and talent sustainability. The attraction of this program is that it hires and rewards the best and brightest.

            PepsiCo has many goals and target set for reduction of energy, water, resources and more for the year 2015. The interesting news is that PepsiCo has won the “Energy Star Partner of the Year” award three times in a row.

            Boeing, the world’s leading aerospace company recognizes the serious challenges faced by our ecosystem. So, they are committed in reducing the effects of their operations, products and services. Boeing, who co-founded the ‘Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association’, targets 25 percent improvement for solid waste recycling rates by the year 2012. Boeing claims that about 80 percent of the materials used in Airplanes can be recycled. Boeing has also received the National Recycling coalition’s top honor for corporate recyclers in 1995.

            Today Boeing expands its wings and aims at 90 percent recycling rate in near future. Let’s hope more scrap planes in the graveyard will get a rebirth.

            The new foreign trade procedure for the period 2008-2009 is released by the Directorate of Foreign Trade of India. Few amendments (Division 2.32.A added to the old trade procedure and condition III deleted) were made to the old procedures in scrap metal trade.

            Chapter 2.32 which deals with the import of scrap metals from any parts of the globe to India is shown here:-

Chapter 2.32- Import of Metallic Waste and Scrap

Division 2.32.1- Import of any form of metallic waste, scrap will be subject to the condition that, it will not contain hazardous, toxic waste, radioactive contaminated waste / scrap containing radioactive material, any type of arms, ammunition, mines, shells, live or used cartridge or any other explosive material in any form either used or otherwise.

Division 2.32.2- Import of following types of metallic waste and scrap will be free subject to conditions detailed below.

Shredded form only: Import from Hodaideh, Yemen and Bandar Abbas, Iran will be in shredded form only.

Unshredded compressed and loose form:  Import of metallic waste, scrap above in unshredded compressed and loose form shall be subject to the following conditions:

Condition-1: The importer should furnish the following documents to the customs at the time of clearance of goods:

Documents to be produced:

• Pre-shipment inspection certificate as per the format in Annexure-I to    Appendix-5^* from any Inspection & Certification agencies given in Appendix-5^* to the effect that:

                  + The consignment does not contain any type of arms, ammunition, mines,                     shells, cartridges, radio active contaminated or any other explosive                                         material in any form either used or otherwise.

                  + The imported item (s) is actually a metallic waste/                                                       scrap/ seconds/ defective as per the internationally accepted parameters for              such a classification.

• Copy of the contract between the importer and the exporter stipulating that the consignment does not contain any type of arms, ammunition, mines, shells, cartridges, radio active contaminated, or any other explosive material in any form either used or otherwise.

Condition-II: Import of scrap would take place only through the following designated ports and no exceptions would be allowed even in case of EOUs (Export Oriented Unit), SEZs (Special Economic Zone):

1. Chennai

2. Cochin

3. Ennore

4. JNPT

5. Kandla

6. Mormugao

7. Mumbai

8. New Mangalore

9. Paradip

10. Tuticorin

11. Vishakhapatnam

12. ICD Loni, Ghaziabad

13. Pipava

14. Mundra

15. Kolkata

16. ICD Ludhiana

17. ICD Dadri (Greater Noida)

18. ICD Nagpur

19. ICD Jodhpur

20. ICD Jaipur,

21. ICD Udaipur

22. CFS Mulund

23. ICD Kanpur

24. ICD Ahmedabad

25. ICD Pitampur

26. ICD Malanpur

Condition III: Condition III^* in the old procedure is no longer in use and is deleted in the amended procedure.

Division 2.32.A- In case any agency wishes to be enlisted under Appendix 5, they may furnish an application to the office of Director General of Foreign Trade with the following documents:

• A brief on the activities of the agency, its history, membership, organizational structure,   manpower, etc.
• Infrastructural setup, logistics, testing labs etc. for carrying out the inspection of metallic scrap.
• List of companies/agencies for which testing has been carried out.

Division 2.32.3- However, import of other kinds of metallic waste and scrap will be allowed in terms of conditions of Indian Trade Classification (Harmonised System) (ITC (HS)).

Division 2.32.4- Import policy for seconds and defective, rags, PET bottles / waste, and ships is given in ITC (HS).

            No major amendments were made to the old trade procedure other than the addition of paragraph 2.32.A and the deletion of condition III.

TILTING TYPE ROTARY FURNACES (TTRF)
 
Tilting rotary furnaces are used for melting Aluminium Scrap and dross. A tilting type rotary furnace (TTRF or TRF) is in fact an ‘inclined rotating well’ which associates the benefits of rotary furnaces, reverberatory furnaces and dry-hearth furnaces in a single machine. In fact, the concept of these furnaces has been around for a long time and was used before the Second World War in the copper industry. However, the technology of the earlier days was not able to extract the full benefit from this simple but ingenious design. Today, with advances in mechanical engineering, hydraulics, refractories and particularly process control, the concept reveals all its features.

FEATURES OF TILTING ROTARY FURNACES (TTRF)
• Improving working conditions for furnace-men.
• Melting a wide range of feedstock.
• Diminishing or eliminating metal pollution by trace elements in the charge (For example free iron)
• Facilitating charge mixing and homogeneity.
• Provides lining ‘Self Cleaning’
• Consumes less energy and has high thermal yields.
• Ensures 2 to 3 times faster melting rates than old conventional furnaces.

In recent years, the tilting type rotary furnaces has taken a new look. The old style open door cement mixer is now replaced by computerized controls, sealed door and the latest generation of oxy/fuel burners. The high flame radiation of the oxy/fuel burner system and the capability to control furnace atmosphere makes the TTRF the most energy efficient system available.
 The ability to melt multiple alloys without the use of chlorine or preprocessing is a tremendous economic and environmental benefit to the secondary melting industry.
Dry process melting drastically reduces contamination of the refractory lining; providing flexibility for the refiner. It is possible to change alloys to meet customer demands without costly, time-consuming “wash heats”. The only restriction in this type of tilting rotary furnaces is the physical size of the charge material. The TTRF offers a 54 inch diameter opening to receive the charge material into the furnace.
 
 The core of the TTRF s its computer control and the optical real time display. The computer controls and displays all operating parameters including rpm, chamber temperature, metal condition, oxy/fuel burner power and ratio. In order to know when the metal is molten a graphical display indicates the power required for rotation as a function of time (Fig). A dramatic and sudden decrease in output power is an indication to the operator that the metal is ready to pour.
 

 The tilt rotary furnace is not a new concept and has been in existence since 1970. As a result of requirements for less costly melting processes, development of new technology, and the economics of purchasing less costly scrap, MDY, a technology based company with experience and expertise in melting and process improvement, modified old control principles and designs in 1995 to what they are today. 

 By the year 2020, the Aluminium demand is projected to get increased to 70 million tonnes, with over 30 million tonnes obtained from recycled scrap. Recycling Aluminium that is currently in use as cars, commercial vehicles, ships, airplanes etc would equal up to 18 years of primary Aluminium output. The amount of Aluminium produced from old scrap has been growing from 1.4 million tonnes in 1980 to a whooping 6.8 million tonnes in 2004. The transport sector has been the most important resource of recycled Aluminium. Today recycled Aluminium is produced from 44% transport, 28% packaging, 10% engineering and cables and only a mere 7% from building applications due to its long use phase. Shown in the fig is a graphical representation of Aluminium scrap sources.
 
 However, Aluminium recycling will undergo major changes through the next decade. Buildings that contributes only 7% of aluminium scrap now; will represent up to 33%, recycled aluminium from transport will fall down to 32%. The schematic representation of the forecast is shown in the fig.

The growing markets for Aluminium are supplied by both primary and recycled metal sources. The increase in demand for Aluminium and long life time of the products mean that the overall volume of primary metal will continue to be noticeably greater than the volume of recycled metal.
 
It will be clear from the representation that the volume of primary metal will continue to be much more than recycled Aluminium if recycling rate is not increased.

GLOBAL ENERGY SAVINGS DUE TO ALUMINIUM RECYCLING
 Recycling Aluminium saves up to 95% of energy required for primary Aluminium productions thereby avoiding harmful emissions including green house gases. Improving overall recycling rate of Aluminium is very much essential for sustainable development. Today, recycling of Aluminium scrap saves up to 80 million tonnes of green house emissions per year, which is equivalent to the emission of 15 million cars. The reduction in Co2 emissions in future by the End-life Aluminium recycling is predicted and shown below.
 
The objective of the Aluminium industry for 2020 or beyond is to reduce the green house emissions, conserve less energy and avoid dependence on natural resources; with the help of recycling. All the energy inefficient materials used today will be replaced by Aluminium (especially transport applications). And so the demand for the same will shoot up. Inorder to eliminate the energy losses during the production of Aluminium due to this increased demand, recycling of Aluminium scrap has to be followed from now!   

Let us start with the life cycle of aluminium can. Metals don't have life anyway. To make this passage interesting, let's assume that metals are living things

 
 Here in a processing unit, an aluminium-can is born. Meanwhile let me tell you a fun fact, every 3 seconds, a human baby is born, in mean time 140 cans are born! Alright here a new born aluminium can goes to the self of a beverage store and ready to be sold. Someone purchases the beverage, enjoys it, and the empty aluminium can is thrown in a recycle bin. This scrap aluminium can is easily separated from other scrap and are taken for the recycling process. There he is melted in a furnace, rolled into sheets in mills and then new beverage can is made.

However this recycling process completes within 60 days.  So after 60 days, the old dead beverage can gets a rebirth. He is back on the self again for business, yelling “I am back.” Yes the fact is aluminium never wears out, it can be recycled forever. “Aluminium never dies!” And the important fact about aluminium is that it never looses its properties. So a scrap aluminium-can becomes a new one in 60 days, it’s “can to can in 60 days”
 

Though this story is imaginary, the facts told about aluminium are true. That is, the scrap aluminium-can can be recycled within 60 days and reused as a new can without any loss in the metal properties. And aluminium can be recycled for many number of times. So if anyone sees an aluminium-can lying in roadside, it is not just a waste, but it is a living aluminium-can crying that “I am still alive”. So “SAVE THEM!”

THE RECYCLING PROCESS
 The recycling of Aluminium can is a simple four stage process.

1. Shredding-  Aluminium cans which arrive in bales are shredded into pieces to the sizeo f a walnut in a shredder. The shredded pieces are then passed to a  magnetic separator to remove the impurities.

2. Decoating- Decoating is done to maximize energy efficiency. Lacquer from the branded and decorated cans is removed by blowing hot air (around 500ºC)  through the shreds in a decoater, on a slowly-moving insulated conveyor.

3. Melting-  The hot, shredded, decoated aluminium is fed into the furnaces and melted. The furnaces have state of the art regenerative burners and a burner management system to reduce the amount of energy used.

4. Casting-  Ingots are cast by tilting the holding furnace and pouring the molten metal - via a two-stage process to remove any remaining minute non-metallic particles and gases - into a vertical casting unit. Chemical composition and metal cleanliness are then tested on each cast. As the metal flows into the mould, it is chilled by jets of cool water being pumped around the mould, and a solidified outer shell is formed. The ingot solidifies gradually during the casting process, which takes approximately three hours. The ingots, which each contain around 1.6m used drinks cans, are then shipped on to a  mill for rolling into the sheet from which can makers subsequently produce new cans.

Aluminum cans distinguish them as the most recycled and most recyclable beverage container in the world. An awesome 105,784 cans are recycled every minute nationwide.

I remember those good old days, when the air was clean to breathe, water was clear to drink and the land was full of fresh green vegetation to have healthy food. However a lot of environmental problems now affect the entire world. I am even unable to breath due to this pollute air. Today to drink some fresh water, it has to be purified using several methods. We can find fresh green vegetables no more.

 According to me, of the various kinds of problems faced by our planet, the depletion of non-renewable natural resources is the major concern. The increased demands of Aluminium nowadays claim more energy and mineral resources. However, based on my experiences, every problem will have its causes, effects and most importantly a solution. In the case of depletion of natural resources, the unique solution is to “Recycle.” The usage of recycled metal saves both energy and mineral resources needed for primary production.
 
 The well known fact about aluminium is that anything made of Aluminium could be recycled for ‘n’ number of times and can be reused. Moreover the atomic structure of the same never changes, no matter the number of times it has been recycled. Moreover, recycling one kilogram of aluminium can save up to 8 kilograms of bauxite, four kilograms of chemical products and 14 kilowatt hours of electricity. It is the good news regarding the increased usage of Aluminium. The only thing is, we have use recycled Aluminium.  
 
 Aluminium scrap is collected and recycled everywhere in the World. Recycling of Aluminium plays a key role in Europe, North America and Japan. By the year 2020, the metal demand is projected to shoot up to 70 million tonnes. The challenge for the metal Industry is to satisfy the ever increasing demand for Aluminium, at the same time reducing any negative impacts to the environment. Recycling of Aluminium is the best way to meet the emerging Industrial needs and to eliminate environmental risks and conserve energy. Also, recycling aluminum creates 97% less water pollution than producing new metal from ore.

We will never know the worth of water until the well is dry. It is high time to act to stop the depletion of non-renewable natural resources and conserve non-renewable energy sources. So recycle and reuse whatever it is possible to do so and save the grinning Planet.

“Good Planets are hard to find, don’t blow it”-Quoted in time. 

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am Mr David Zuma, A Special Structural Engineering Auditor to the South African railway Corporation [SARC] and the Ministry Of Transport Federal Republic Of South Africa. Plesae see our product description

The products involved is Used Train Rail Scraps with the Specification of R50 & R 65 as conformed to the ISRI Codes. The Origin: South Africa. Quantity: 120, 000 MT (One hundred and Twenty Thousand Metric Tons) Packing arrangements: Cut to sizes for containerizing exporting allowance. Shipment: 30, 000 MT (Thirty Thousand Metric Tons per Shipment. ) Contract Period: Four Months. Price: USD $130 per Metric Ton. Payment Terms: Payment of the goods to be done 21 days after when goods has been delivered, discharged at your chosen port of discharge. Delivery Terms: CIF. Inspections: By Buyer and at the loading port by SGS During loading process The scrap rail consists out of the used rails scraps from the South African Railway Commuters Corporation.

All materials are totally free from any types of radiation; bombs, arms and ammunition, and explosive in any form either used or otherwise. Please confirm if you are willing to close down the contract as to enable us schedule and arrange for your urgent trip to South Africa for inspections of the materials and signing of the contract with us and the representatives of The ministry. Again also note that you will not be required to pay for the goods until they have been successfully moved out the shores of South Africa. Be informed that upon your acceptance to this offer, we will be providing you with all the related documents for your perusals before coming down to South Africa for the signing of the contract with us. Finally, upon your acceptance to this offer, be guided that, immediately after signing the contract with the ministry, you will be automatically assumed to begin cutting of the materials to the international scrap standardized approved sizes for immediate free exportations. Please henceforth all your correspondence should be through this direct email address:davimoore@executivemail.co.za For faster communications, you can reach at +27-786-359-634 for more verbal discussions. Thanks and regards. David Zuma.

SCAM BUSINESS OFFER FROM GHANA, I WONDER WHY THE GUYS CALL THEM AS DR (DOCTORS) 

i am issaka mensah a dealer and manufacturer i based in accra ghana at no 5 tudu road accra ghana i am looking for a nice business person who have a good heaart as son of God for investment thanks and remain bless from Dr Issaka mensah

ANOTHER NIGERIAN FRAD MAIL

  We have large quantity of Scraps for sale. We have over 2million metric tons starched all over the yards and dump start in Nigeria. Due to recent Change in the Ministry of Transport under which The Nigerian Railway Corporation belongs. The Railway Corporation is going on privatization as negotiation is going on for foreign management to take over. The Presidency has raised a Task Force to evacuate the whole scraps littered within the railway yards and different location in the Country. We have the mandate of writing this offer as a direct seller to seek Your interests on behalf of our auctioneers,

The Federal Ministry of Transport of Nigeria, Who has authorized us to negotiate with Buyers, that can purchase the products as stated below under as spot lift contract term. PRODUCT: USED RAIL TRACKS SPECIFICATIONS: R50 & R65 as conformed to the ISRI CODES ORIGIN: NIGERIA MANUFACTURERS: RUSSIA AND UKRAINE PACKAGING: Loose and Cut to sizes of 1.5inches or buyers specification before containerizing and Loading. QUANTITY: 1, 200, 0000.00 MT (One Million Two Hundred Thousand Metric Tons) SHIPMENT: 30,000. (Thirty Thousand) Metric Tons per Month. CONTRACT PERIOD: 12 Months. PRICE: USD$155 per Metric Ton. DELIVERY: CIF. INSPECTION and CERTIFICATION: By SGS at the Port of Loading. Chemical Composition: International Standards as follows: R50 - 51.67 kg/m GOST 7173-75 C : 0.67 -- 0.8% Mn : 0.75 -- 1.05% Si : 0.13 -- 0.28% P : max. 0.035% S : max. 0.045% Ar : max. 0.15% R65 - 64.72 kg/m GOST 8165-75 C : 0.6 -- 0.082% n : 0.75 -- 1.05% Si : 0.13 - 0.28% P : max. 0.035% S : max. 0.045% Ar : max. 0.15 The scrap rails consist out of the used and unused rails from the Nigerian Railway Corporation [NRC].

All materials are totally free from any types of radiation, bombs, arms and ammunition, and explosive in any form either used or otherwise. Please confirm if you are willing to close down the contract as to Enable us schedule and arrange for a meeting and discuss any gray areas. You may be required if need be to visit and inspect product, meet with our Principal the board of the Railway Corporation including Task Force for evacuation of scraps under the Presidency. Finally, upon your acceptance to this offer, we expect you to send LOI so we can prepare FCO and draft contract agreement and send to you for your perusal, study and consideration pending when all arrangement including payment terms will be agreed upon. Also, we offer HMS 1&2. And the Price is $145/mts Minimum sale 30,000Mts. The price for the used rail And HMS are still negotiable if buyers are serious. I wait for your LOI to confirm your readiness to purchase so we can issue FCO. You can get in touch with via this email princemacdaniel@juno.com Regards, Richard.

BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE OF THIS SPAM

YOUR KIND ATTENTION,

IS MY PLEASURE TO SEEK YOUR CONSENT IN THIS HUGE PROFITABLE BUSINESS OF MUTUAL BENEFIT BETWEEN YOU AND ME INVOLVING AN AMOUNT OF $6,750,000 SIX MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS,

PLEASE GET BACK TO ME URGENTLY FOR DETAILS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, EMAIL :drifa_gh@yahoo.com FOR FULL DETAILS. REGARDS. DR,LOUIS FRIMPONG AGYEI.

 This is one spam complaint received from a number of members. Beware of this

I am Mr Justice Dube, A Special Structural Engineering Auditor to the South African railway Corporation [SARC] and the Ministry Of Transport Federal Republic Of South Africa, I have been given the mandate by the Honorable Minister to secure a reliable experienced business entity in overseas through whom we can auction and export the bellow described product urgently.

The products involved is Used Train Rail Scraps with the Specification of R50 & R 65 as conformed to the ISRI Codes. The Origin: South Africa. Quantity: 120, 000 MT (One hundred and Twenty Thousand Metric Tons) Packing arrangements: Cut to sizes for containerizing exporting allowance. Shipment: 30, 000 MT (Thirty Thousand Metric Tons per Shipment. ) Contract Period: Four Months. Price: USD $90 per Metric Ton. Payment Terms: Payment of the goods to be done 21 days after when goods has been Delivered, discharged at your chosen port of discharge. Delivery Terms: CIF. Inspections: By Buyer and at the loading port by SGS During loading process

The scrap rail consists out of the used rails scraps from the South African Railway Commuters Corporation. All materials are totally free from any types of radiation; bombs, arms and ammunition, and explosive in any form either used or otherwise. Please confirm if you are willing to close down the contract as to enable us schedule and arrange for your urgent trip to South Africa for inspections of the materials and signing of the contract with us and the representatives of The ministry. Again also note that you will not be required to pay for the goods until they have been successfully moved out the shores of South Africa. Be informed that upon your acceptance to this offer, we will be providing you with all the related documents for your perusals before coming down to South Africa for the signing of the contract with us, Finally, be informed that upon your acceptance to this offer, we will be providing you with all the related documents for your perusals before coming down to South Africa for the signing of the contract with us, Please revert via: Email: justicedube_company@yahoo.com, and for faster attention call me on +27-733 581 612 round the clock. Thanks and regards, Justice

The environment is something of a hot topic at the moment, with growing pressures both politically and socially to act up to our responsibilities to the planet and its ongoing conservation.  After decades, even centuries of pollution and mindless resource depletion, we are now at a stage where far more caution must be exercised in the way we live our lives.  Of course business and commerce can’t simply halt for the sake of the planet, and hence the process of recycling resources has become more and more prominent over the last few years, particularly in the scrap metal trade which has been buoyed as a result.  In this article we’ll look at why scrap metal recycling is good for the environment and why it should be encouraged at any cost.

Scrap metal starts out life as any other metal material.  It is built for a purpose and is often reserved for that specific use, be it in building or construction, machinery, technology or agriculture, where it will remain forever more in an ideal world.  However, what happens when that machine breaks down, or the building is demolished to make way for some newer construction project?  The metal from there becomes scrap, unwanted and many look to simply get rid of it out of their hands, usually by visiting a scrap metal dealer who will buy different bits of metal for money.  So what’s the big idea about recycling then?

When people think of recycling, they tend to think of some chemical or mechanised process whereby a recycling plant takes some old and turns it in to something completely new, suitable for reuse ad ready for sale.  We also tend to think of this as an environmentally friendly practice, but we’re never really told why.  In fact, recycling can be the process of melting scrap metals for resale, but it can also be put under the heading of what your average scrap dealer will do when he sells a piece of metal on to someone else.  Recycling can be defined as reusing in any sense of the word, which is environmentally friendly for one key reason – the more scrap metal reintroduced into circulation, the less metal that has to be manufactured.

Manufacturing metal is by its very nature environmentally intensive, creating toxic fumes and a certain amount of wastage that’s anything but kind to the planet.  As we cut down the amount of manufacturing going on we cut out some of the pollution and waste that wreaks havoc on the earth, yet we fill in the void created by recycled scrap metal.  With scrap metal just as usable as fresh metal and far less environmentally taxing, it makes sense to promote the trade and use of scrap in manufacturing processes, rather than to continually produce more and more fresh material at the expense of the environment.  For this reason, recycling scrap metal is both cost effective for the buyer, and environmentally friendly all round.

There has never been a better time than now to get involved in the trade and investment in metals.  As the old saying goes, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.  With scrap metal that’s definitely the case, and at the very lowest level it is possible to monetize your investment from a number of different sources.  Aside from that, metal investment is seen as a safe haven from riskier investments in times of crisis, which has naturally become particularly relevant since the sub-prime mortgage sector collapse and the resulting stock market unrest throughout the later months of 2007.  In this article we will look at why investment in metals may be a valuable proposition, and why it may be favoured over other investment strategies.

Scrap metal is a valuable commodity for the simple reason that it can be resold in parts to other dealers, or eventually melted down and recycled for resale.  From there, a commodity trade has emerged where investors from around the world are drawn towards buying up scrap metal with a view to providing a stable return on their investment later down the line.  Because recycled metal is and always will be in demand, there is a ready buyers market alongside those selling, which makes the scrap economy tick over relatively smoothly.

Investment in metals is usually considered to be a ‘safe-haven’ in times of economic trouble, like at present with the fallout from the subprime sector crash in the US.  Metal, because it is a valuable commodity in its own right, is rarely affected by wider economic factors, unlike the stock market or as we’ve seen recently, debt securitization.  For that reason, investors usually flock to the metal market when other economic signs start to take a turn for the worse, as a safe and sustainable way of investing long term outside of high risk investment strategies.  Scrap won’t take a tumble because of inflation or recession because it is a vital commodity that will always serve a purpose to someone – even if that is just through melting down to sell to recycling plants.

Another great reason to get involved in metals at the moment is the rapid growth in demand from emerging markets in Asia, like China and India, which are both consuming significant quantities of metals with an insatiable demand, to fuel their economic growth and build their commercial and social infrastructures as they continue to grow.  For this reason, metal is in more demand than ever before pushing prices through the roof and giving prudent investors an excellent return on their money, without jeopardising the safety of their investment portfolios.

If you’ve never considered metal investing, there really is no better time than the present to make your move in to the market.  For a safe investment that isn’t overly affected by external factors with rapidly growing demand from Asia in particular fuelling price growth, the scrap metal trade is becoming an increasingly popular and wise addition to the investment portfolio.

When it comes to recycling doing a little can help a lot. As limited resources become more limited, and as the impact of waste places a bigger burden on the environment, the time for action is now. While the actions of one may not be enough to correct all the problems the world faces, the role of the individual should not be underrated in the journey towards a cleaner, more efficient, future.

Did you know?

One recycled tin could offset the environmental impact of 3 hours of watching television. On a daily basis, if you watch 3 hours of TV per day, you could simply recycle any tins that you consume during the day and sit back watching the TV safe in the knowledge that your not contributing negatively to the environment.

Recycled Paper uses 70% less energy to produce. The next time you pick up paper, why not consider opting for a recycled sheet? If your a business you may find that your customers may treat this as a positive signal – if you care for the environment then your more likely to care for them as a customer.

16% of energy consumption in manufacture goes into the packaging. Maybe you don't judge a book by its cover, or the products your want to buy based on the packaging, but you may be surprised to find that the investment businesses make in packaging comes at a price – to the environment.

9 out of 10 people think recycling is too hard. If recycling was made easier then 9 out of 10 people would be more likely to do it. If your an employer then why not consider providing your employees with the tools they need to make recycling possible and effortless? Even if you don't own a business what's stopping you from going out and helping your neighbours to recycle.

Teach A Man How to Fish...

If your recycling then your doing your bit and ensuring that your contribution towards the environment is a positive one. In short your an asset to the environment and your input will be appreciated by your grandchildren in years to come. However, imagine how much more impact you could have if you managed to get others to do the same as you.

That's right, rather than just doing your bit why not get others to follow suit? You could get your family and friends to do the same thing, and then get them to get their friends to recycle and so on. In doing so the impact of your actions could multiply exponentially.

If you ensure that you do your bit, and do your best to get others on board then the problem of environment change could well be one that has less ramifications than it looks like it might if things continue as they are now. Make sure that you can say you've done your bit, and that you get as much people as you can on board.

There are many reasons why someone would want to get in to the scrap metal market.  For one, it is widely considered to be a much more stable alternative to investing in stocks and shares, given that prices tend not to fluctuate as wildly in the scrap metal industry.  Added to that is the ongoing possibility of liquidating your portfolio, pretty much at any time, which avoids the need to find a buyer for shares or other commodities, through selling to scrap recycling plants or other dealers.  But how would one go about getting involved in the scrap metal market, and what steps could be taken to ensure your scrap experience is a profitable one?

Before even considering entering the scrap metal market, a fundamental consideration is whether or not you have the resources to invest.  As a general rule, you should only invest what you could afford to lose in a market within which you have no experience or knowledge.  This is the worst case scenario for most traders and although unlikely it’s always a good idea to plan conservatively to cover any eventuality to make sure you can afford to bail yourself out if needs be. 

Secondly you should consider trying to pick up some knowledge of the marketplace and how it works.  For this there is no substitute for reading about the marketplace, on the internet and in related journal publications.  Reading will give you a better idea of what’s in demand and what isn’t, and how best to structure your scrap metal portfolio.  Without doing your research into the way the market works, you could end up learning the hard way which could be financially very expensive if you are unable to shift your investments when it comes time to sell. 

Another word of advice: diversify your investment portfolio across different types of scrap to begin with until you become more accustomed to which types of metal are valued at which price.  By investing all your money in one material, you could more readily end up incurring losses on your input if that decision turns out to be a bad one.  However, by spreading your investment across a range of different materials and ensuring constant appraisal of your portfolio inventory you can maximise your earning potential and stabilise your investment to effectively hedge your bets within the scrap commodity market.

Before getting too heavily involved in the scrap metal commodity market it is important to pay due consideration to each of the crucial elements mentioned above to ensure you both know what you’re doing and you don’t lose your money.  Additionally, by taking these precautions you can help increase the likelihood of eventually selling your investment portfolio for a profit, making it all worthwhile.  However you approach getting in to scrap metal investment, make sure you have a broad understanding of the market and thick skin before you proceed, to give you the best chance of succeeding in your investment endeavours.