Recycling is one of the conscious efforts that people can make toward reducing their environmental footprint. While most people think about recycling things like cardboard boxes and plastic bottles, there are many other things that can be recycled as well. In fact, metals are important to recycle as well. Here's a look at some of the many reasons why you should recycle copper.

Copper Is A Finite Resource

While you may think of many precious metals as renewable resources, the truth is that they are not. Copper ore is a finite resource and over-mining will deplete that. When you opt to recycle copper, you're reducing the amount of copper ore that needs to be mined to meet demands. Since mining is an energy-intensive process, it's important to minimize that need when possible. Recycling copper drastically reduces the energy demand for copper production.

Copper Refining Is Bad For The Environment

The process of refining copper from ore produces some byproducts that are hazardous to the environment. The off-gassing that happens during refining has a direct effect on climate change and air quality. It's important to reduce this effect as much as possible for the long-term health of the planet. Recycling copper is a different process that does not produce the same toxic gases and particles. That makes it a better choice for environmental well-being.

Recycling Copper Is Better For Landfills

Copper doesn't naturally decompose the way that some materials do, so disposing of copper leads to build-up in landfills. When you're trying to protect the planet, you know that accumulated waste in landfills does just the opposite. The more waste we can eliminate, the better it is for the environment. It eliminates the chemicals and byproducts that leech into the soil of the landfills, protecting the earth from those contaminants. And, recycling copper also generally reduces the load of waste that landfills must take on, which can be significant over time.

Recycling Copper Is Cheaper

Precious metals are rarely cheap because of the amount of energy and labor required to mine and refine the ore to produce those metals. Recycled copper uses only a small fraction of that energy and labor, which means that it can also be priced more affordably, making the copper market more reasonable.

These are just a few of the many reasons why you should make a point to recycle used copper. Don't contribute to landfill waste and the negative effects on the environment from refining copper ore. Recycle your used copper materials to help protect the planet and reduce costs. 

For more information about copper recycling services, contact a local company.