2016Yearbook_Flipbook

Chapter II: How the Scrap Recycling Industry Works Overview of the Scrap Recycling Industry The use of scrap dates back to the beginning of human existence itself. Since the dawn of civilization and the earliest attempts at manufacturing, humans have recognized the

adapting not only to market drivers, but also shifting priorities in the context of our finite natural resources. In the second half of the 20th century, the scrap recycling industry continued to grow, becoming more innovative,

intrinsic value of scrap and the benefits associated with using and re-using existing products to create new goods. The modern, capital-intensive, and global scrap industry we know today evolved from humble origins.

competitive, and capital-intensive. Today, the scrap recycling industry utilizes a wide range of capital equipment including high-tech shredders, shears and balers, as well as the optical scanners, X-rays, and air jets that are used to separate recycled materials. In the last several decades, the introduction of containerization and the surge in commodities demand from China and other developing economies helped to create an even more globalized scrap marketplace.

In the early days of recycling, scrap peddlers would typically buy and trade relatively small quantities of used household items, used farm equipment and other goods, and today’s scrap processors and brokers have certainly retained that entrepreneurial spirit. As manufacturing ramped up and

became more complex in response to society’s expanding needs, scrap recycling took on even greater importance,

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INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.