Did you know that products manufactured using scrap metal reduces air pollution by 86 percent and water pollution by 76 percent? If so, then you're probably already aware of the many benefits of recycling these materials.

Recycling scrap metal is one of the most important environmental issues we face today. Metals that have been dumped in the form of automobiles and old machinery contain many toxic chemicals that are wreaking havoc on the ecosystem around it. The recycling of these materials is also extremely beneficial to the manufacturing industry in that it significantly reduces the power required to create new materials, which in turn allows them to save energy for use elsewhere. Also, with such a finite amount of these metals left for use, it's important to conserve as much of it as we can for future consumption.

So what types of scrap metal can be recycled? Simply put - a bunch. Wrought ion, steel and stainless steel are all ferrous (iron-based) metals that can be recycled, while copper, aluminum, zinc and nickel are non-ferrous compounds that can be reused as well. Local refuse and recycling stations will usually take them at their locations, but in some cases on-site pickup or independent scrap metal merchants may need to be contacted.

Scrap metal can also be lucrative if you have enough of it. Prices are determined by the commodity markets and fluctuate day-to-day, and depending on what you may have, it could fetch a pretty penny from local retailers. For example, old copper piping is especially valuable if you no longer have any use for it.

Recycling scrap metal benefits everyone involved - don't waste any more time contributing to the problem, become part of the solution.