All metals can be recycled, with aluminum and steel being the most common. Metals can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of their properties. Other metals such as copper, gold, silver and brass are rarely thrown into the trash because of their value.

How to prepare for recycling:

Sort scrap metal into ferrous and nonferrous metals. Ferrous scrap is made of iron and steel. This can come from cars, household appliances, steel beams, railroad tracks, ships, or food packaging and other containers. Nonferrous scrap include aluminium (including jalousy, foil and cans), copper, lead, zinc, nickel, titanium, cobalt, chromium, and precious metals. Although there is less nonferrous scrap than ferrous scrap, it is often more expensive.

How it is recycled:

Steel and aluminum scrap are usually melted in a furnace and then formed into sheets.

These are then used as raw materials for various products.

Products:

Aluminum cans are usually recycled into new aluminum cans. Recycled steel cans can be made into new cans, girders for buildings, or new food cans.

What is saved:

Steel and aluminum recycling is much more energy efficient and cost effective than primary production of these metals. Every ton of recycled steel packaging saves 1.5 tons of iron ore; 0.5 tons of coal; and 40 percent of the water and 75 percent of the energy needed to make steel from virgin material. Recycling aluminum, meanwhile, requires only 5 percent of the energy and produces only 5 percent of the CO2 emissions of primary production.

source: http://www.taoshelter.tao-pilipinas.org