Anyone who knows recycling will tell you that metal is a valuable resource. Not only can metal recyclables be reused over and over again for raw materials needed in manufacturing, construction, and other areas of commerce—thus preserving the environment by reducing waste, over-mining, excess energy expenses, and pollution—but they can be used like “virgin metals.” As a result, they maintain superior value despite constant fluctuations in the market.

But how and why do prices for metal recyclables fluctuate like they do?

Communities and groups across the nation will soon celebrate Earth Day. The global environmental movement—slated this year for Monday, April 22, 2024—was created 54 years ago and is a welcome annual reminder for over one billion people to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, you can raise awareness, enjoy nature, teach your kids, and give back by participating in one or several fun, educational, and exciting events to support DFW recycling efforts.

If only the average American could be a fly on the wall when recycling center employees sift through literally tons of the recycled materials processed every day. If they could, maybe they would see for themselves the many consumer recycling mistakes that take place. They may also see why experts say not everything is recyclable and that it is better to do your research before tossing oddball items into the same recycling bin. The Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent statistics show that Americans produced 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2018 alone, or 4.9 pounds per person per day. And while the EPA estimates that most of those items are recyclable, there is plenty of aspirational recycling going on.

We’ve been in the recycling business for more than 30 years, and it never gets old seeing positive changes taking place in our industry and each community’s attitudes toward recycling and sustainability. Don’t get us wrong; we still have a long way to go when it comes to protecting our planet. But it’s exciting that the next generation of recyclers is already making an indelible mark on what could be in the not-so-distant future.