Electronics…The Newest Frontier For Recycling

As we have intensified our efforts to collect end-of-life electronics, we have marveled at the vast array of equipment that has been packed away in basements, warehouses and storage facilities all over the GTA. Word processors, typewriters, black and white televisions, stereo and high fidelity equipment, computers, beepers, telecommunications equipment, printers and other peripherals, clunky portable phones that weren’t very smart and the list goes on.

The amazing thing about all this ‘stuff’ is that when they were introduced to the world they were all applauded and widely accepted as true cutting edge technologies.

End-of-life electronics sorting and dismantling at our Oakville warehouse.

Scales…One of Our Weighter Blog Posts, If You’ll Pardon The Pun

Easily the busiest pieces of equipment at any scrap metal recycling operation are the weigh scales. They provide the defining measurement for all material trading, both buying and selling.

There’s Nothing New About Scales.

The Egyptians were using scales more than 7000 years ago. Smart Egyptians.

Weigh scales date back to early Egyptian civilization. The earliest scales were found in an Egyptian grave and are at least 7000 years old. Modified and improved by many cultures over time they increasingly gained relevance with the introduction of the various media of exchange with fixed values. People needed to know the weight of a product in order to convert its value into currency.

Recycling…Not the Oldest Profession, But Certainly Right Up There.

Recycling has been around for a quite a while. We know this because archeologists have discovered that in periods when resources were scarce they find less waste at archeological sites. In fact, researchers suggest that recycling may date back as far as 400 BC. They also suggest that the Romans were active in recycling. Plato is often cited as a strong advocate.

At some time in the last two thousand years, the clever local inhabitants of Venosa in Italy started recycling the marble from their demolished ancient monuments and using it for paving stones.

Many Kinds of Recycling

Space – The Final Frontier For Scrap Metal Recycling

Not content with all of the environmental concerns we have on earth, we are now required to also focus our attention on all that scrap metal that is floating above us in outer space. Lately we have seen an increasing number of articles in the news alerting us to things falling from the sky and trying to predict precisely where and when they will land and what damage they might do.

We have been throwing stuff up into the atmosphere since 1950. Despite the vastness of space, the accumulation of spent rocket stages, broken satellites and other flotsam and jetsam tends to concentrate in a relatively small section, called Low Earth Orbits, located about 35,400 kilometers above the Earth.

Back On The Blogging Track

Expansion Complete

As you may or may not have noticed, we have taken a brief blogging hiatus over the summer months as our attention was turned towards getting our new location in Oakville up and running. It is now fully operational and we are extremely pleased with the reception we have received from the public, the trades and industry in the community and surrounding municipalities.

As part of this process we also created a new home page for our web site which features, among other things, a price chart that will provide visitors with up to date rates on some of the more popular metals we purchase.
Click here to check it out.

In Scrap Metal Recycling, Looks Can Be Deceiving.

It May Look LIke A Duck and Quack LIke A Duck. But Is It Really A Duck?

There is an old maxim that says one should not judge a book by its cover. This has meaning in the scrap metal recycling industry as well. The outward appearance of metal can often fool you into thinking it is something that it is not. Here are some examples and some tips and tricks.

Take a close look at the picture below.

Copper or steel with a copper coating. Hard to tell, isn't it.

Vertical Publications – The Lifeblood Of A Successful Business

Like any other business, we at Peel Scrap Metal Recycling need to get our message out to the various types of businesses that make up our customer base. To do that effectively and efficiently, we determine our target groups, the message we want to send and then source the right type of placement and medium.

With so many types of communication media and crossover strategies available today, it can certainly be a challenge to navigate the vast advertising streams and to do so within a landscape that is constantly changing.

Lead Acid Batteries – One Of Our Biggest Recycling Success Stories

One of the best kept secrets with respect to all of the various recycling programs in effect is the absolute success of lead acid battery recycling. More than 97% of all battery lead is recycled making lead acid batteries the most highly recycled consumer product.

19^th Century Technology – 21^st Century Utility

The lead acid battery has been around for a while. It was discovered in 1859 by a French physicist and is the oldest type of rechargeable battery. With a high power to weight ratio and a cost that is economical, lead acid batteries have provided a practical and efficient power solution for many different applications.

The Solar Roadways Project. The Biggest Green Idea Yet.

One of the more interesting aspects of being part of the green revolution is that you are exposed to new ideas and recycling technologies on a constant basis. Recently we came across something which really caught our attention.

The Solar Roadways Project

Scott Brusaw of Sagle Idaho is an electrical engineer whose company, Solar Roadways, wants to build solar panels that will replace the asphalt that constitutes most roadways, driveways, parking lots and even the paved areas we play on in playgrounds.

On only four hours sunlight per day, Mr. Brusaw estimates that 428 homes could go off the grid for every mile of four lane solar roadway.

Our Community Responsibility Extends Beyond The Recycling Of Scrap Metal.

We are always pleased to see young people visit us at our yard. They inevitably have lots of questions about the recycling work that we do and their enthusiasm is infectious.

These young people are the future of the recycling industry and by taking on an awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship at such an early age, it certainly gives us hope that life on the planet will continue.

Chris Slater's nifty looking science project. Glad we could be part of it.