Got metal?

By Chris Joslin
Metal is one of the easiest elements to recycle, and I have launched an effort to help you do that. More on that later but first a bit of background.
Ferrous metals such as iron and steel can be shredded (with a machine like a large-scale paper shredder), separated from other materials (like non-ferrous metals and plastics) using a magnetic separator, then melted down for reuse in new metal products. Non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum and copper, can be processed in a similar way. Although lighter, non-ferrous metals are valuable enough to justify the effort. They can be separated from non-metal materials like plastic using a machine called an Eddy Current Separator.
In Ontario, E-waste recycling is mandated, and facilities are set up to extract the precious metals, such as gold and rare earth metals, from other items. With few processing errors, metals can be recycled indefinitely without losing their integrity. Metal recycling, which has been practised since around 400 BC, is now a highly refined process.
Unfortunately, scrap metal cannot be disposed of in the blue-bin recycling program. According to the City of Ottawa’s website, only aluminum foil and aluminum containers are accepted. It’s unclear whether other aluminum items, such as tennis ball container caps, are accepted or simply end up in landfills.
What do we do with scrap metal?
Currently, there are three consistent options and one occasional option:
- The easiest but least environmentally friendly option is to throw it out with regular garbage. This is wasteful and will certainly become more difficult with Ottawa’s new three-bag limit.
- Take it to a local scrap metal recycling centre. However, this option is often impractical, requiring a lot of work and usually the use of a car.
- Drop it at a store that accepts e-waste, which may cover part of your metal waste but not all of it.
- Occasionally, people collect scrap metal, especially on garbage collection days, but this is unreliable. For example, I haven’t seen anyone picking up old BBQs or washing machines recently.
What’s the solution?
Currently, I’m running a monthly collection on Saturday mornings for members of the Glebe community to drop off unwanted metal. We accept almost anything containing metal, from old phones and cables to broken bikes. After collecting, I sort the metal into broad categories and take it to a local metal recycling center. Any money earned (minus fuel costs) is donated to the Glebe Neighborhood Activities Group (GNAG) to fund community activities.
To be clear, this is a volunteer effort. I don’t pay myself for this work because that’s not the goal.
While this isn’t a perfect solution, and I won’t be able to collect forever, there are two key reasons I will continue doing it for as long as I can. It prevents easily recyclable materials from ending up in landfills, and it provides data and processes that can help show the municipal government what can be diverted from landfills, in hopes that it may eventually start a broader recycling program.
So far, in three collections, I’ve taken in 2807 pounds of metal – that’s roughly half a metric tonne of metal per collection – and diverted it from landfill. But only about 20 people have contributed each time, so that’s a very small part of the community – think of the amount we could collect if everyone contributed!
Next collection is Saturday, October 26 from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Glebe Community Centre, so please start putting together the metal you want to get rid of.
Chris Joslin is a professor at Carleton University. He has lived in the Glebe since 2011 and has a strong passion for recycling and other environmental causes.
SCRAP METALS WE TAKE
Most metals: iron, steel, copper, aluminum, brass, bronze, zinc, lead
Kitchen: oven, sinks, taps, mini fridges, cutlery, pots/pans, baking trays, microwaves Garden/garage: tools, bikes, car parts, rakes/shovels, car batteries
Office: filing cabinets, lamps, desk chairs, trashcans, safes, hole punches
Electronics: TVs, stereos, printers, computers, peripherals, keyboards/mice
Sporting: golf clubs, metal baseball bats, bikes, goalie masks
DIY: cables/wires, copper pipes, connectors, radiators, window weights
Other: metal containers, patio sets, downspouts/gutters, door frames
METALS WE DON’T TAKE
Some metals: mercury, lithium, sodium
Medical/unhygienic items: any item which has human waste associated
Recycling items: aluminum cans/foil, regular batteries (AA, AAA, etc.)
Large items: sofas, mattresses, large fridges
Hazardous waste: aerosol cans, spray paint cans, propane tanks, smoke detectors