Recycling Metals (Oxford AQA IGCSE Combined Science Double Award)
Revision Note
Written by: Philippa Platt
Reviewed by: Stewart Hird
Recycling Metals
Why is it important to recycle metals?
Everyday materials such as metals are produced from natural but finite sources
Some products made from these materials can be reused which saves energy and decreases the environmental impact
Metals can be melted and recast into new shapes
Sometimes the materials being recycled need to be kept separate, depending on what the use of the recycled material will be
Iron for example can be recycled together with waste steel as both materials can be added to a blast furnace, reducing the use of iron ore
Recycling has advantages and disadvantages
Recycling metals
Photo by Evan Demicoli on Unsplash
Advantages of Recycling Metals
Factor | Explanation |
|---|---|
Economic Implications | It is economically beneficial to recycle metals, especially those that are costly to extract such as aluminium |
Recycling is fast becoming a major industry and provides employment which feeds back into the economy | |
Environment | Mining and extracting metal from ores has detrimental effects on the environment and ecosystems |
It is much more energy efficient to recycle metals than it is to extract them as melting and re-moulding requires less energy | |
Recycling decreases the amount of waste produced, hence saving space at landfill sites and energy in transport | |
Raw materials | There is a limited supply of every material on Earth |
As global populations increase there is greater need for effective recycling methods to attain sustainable development | |
Mining and extraction use up valuable fossil fuels, which contributes to climate change |
Disadvantages of Recycling Metals
Factor | Explanation |
|---|---|
Economic Implications | Workers, vehicles and worksites need to be organised and maintained |
Materials need to be sorted before they can be recycled which also requires energy and labour | |
Products made from recycled materials may not always be of the same quality as the original | |
Environment | Collection and transport of material to be recycled requires energy and fuel |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You should be able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of recycling metals and how recycling can preserve both the environment and the supply of valuable raw materials.
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