Metals can form a large proportion of waste in skips. Old pipework from home renovation projects, furniture with metal frameworks, old bins, car parts and metallic home decorations are commonly found in skips. And while some items could be donated to charity or re-sold, fortunately, those that end up in a skip are not destined for landfill.
Can metals go into a skip?
Although some items such as paint, batteries, plasterboard and electricals cannot go into a skip, metals are permitted. The contents of a skip are processed through an automated materials recovery facility at Rabbit to remove recyclables, hardcore and plastic. At this stage, metals are removed too and gathered to send to specialist metal processors. What remains is finely shredded to burn and drive steam turbines to produce green energy in Rabbit’s Energy from Waste facility.
What happens to old metalwork?
Rabbit sends metal to specialist metal recyclers to sort the metal by type. Iron & steel are drawn out magnetically, while non-ferrous metals are sorted using state-of-the-art eddy current separators. Then the metals are cleaned to remove dirt, paint, and other particles as contaminated metals can affect the quality of the recycled product.
Following this, the metals are broken down and processed further. Tin is bathed in saline and melted, ready to be re-cast. Aluminium is shredded before casting and sent on to a manufacturing plant to be made into new items.
Contact Rabbit today for more information about recycling, skip hire and plant hire. Reach us on 01903 762020 or email info@rabbitgroup.co.uk.
