A Deep Dive Into the Brass Recycling Process and Its Environmental Benefits

Composed of copper and zinc, brass alloy comes with a long list of quality traits that have allowed it to be used for its durability and aesthetic appeal for centuries. The demand for brass is still around today which is why embracing sustainable practices like recycling is so important. 

Let’s take a deep dive into the brass recycling process and its environmental benefits. 

Key Steps in the Brass Recycling Process

There are a few key steps in the brass recycling process that must be done to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Collection and Sorting

Before you can begin to recycle the metal, you have to separate it from everything else. Most recycling is picked up from homes or dropped off with other items. This means finding brass mixed with construction debris, industrial waste, and even consumer products. 

Before moving on, it is sorted out from the non-metallic materials and separated from other metals. 

Shredding and Cutting

Once brass has been successfully removed and placed in a pile of its own, it will go through a process known as shredding and cutting. Because it can show up at the recycling center in all shapes and sizes, cutting it down into smaller and more manageable pieces makes it easy to move it through the line for further processing. 

Melting and Casting

The smaller pieces of brass are placed into a furnace at high temperatures in order to melt it completely. This removes any impurities or unwanted materials that are found in the metal. 

Moving forward, the rejuvenated metal is pure brass. 

It is then poured into molds and left to harden. 

Finishing

To transform the brass into a finished product, it will need to undergo a few finishing touches. Depending on its use and the process of the recycling facility, this may include machining, polishing, and plating. 

Environmental Benefits of Brass Recycling

Brass can be recycled over and over again without ever losing its traits or its high quality. And when it is finished, it looks and functions just like new brass — without having to go through the processes to get there. This alone is beneficial for the environment. 

Check out these additional eco-friendly benefits of brass recycling. 

Conserving Natural Resources

To create brass alloys, you need copper and zinc. Mining these metals is destructive to the environment and landscape. It also produces hazardous waste. Not to mention that they are finite resources. 

By recycling brass, you remove the need for mining, protecting the environment and the resources. 

Reduce Waste

When you throw away brass, you are giving up on the chance for it to be recycled and reused. Instead, it will make its way into a landfill where it will take centuries to fully decompose. Since landfill space is limited, un-recycled metal can get in the way. 

Recycling takes brass out of the landfill and frees up space. 

Lower Greenhouse Gases 

The entire manufacturing process for brass can generate high levels of greenhouse gases— especially due to mining and smelting. To reduce your emissions and carbon footprint, opt to recycle brass so that you avoid the need for traditional manufacturing processes.

Want to make a difference? 

Choosing brass for your next project not only means that you have an incredible metal to work with, but that your decision is one that benefits the environment, too.