Ferrous metals are able to be recycled, with steel being one of the most recycled materials in the world. Ferrous metals contain an appreciable percentage of iron and the addition of carbon and other substances creates steel.
The steel industry has been actively recycling for more than 150 years, in large part because it is economically advantageous to do so. It is cheaper to recycle steel than to mine iron ore and manipulate it through the production process to form new steel. Steel does not lose any of its inherent physical properties during the recycling process, and has drastically reduced energy and material requirements compared with refinement from iron ore.
Not only are we the largest scrap broker in North America, we also trade extensively in international markets. We operate 11 ferrous brokerage offices in world wide. At every office, our experienced brokers receive up-to-the-minute data on who is buying or selling scrap, what kind, where, and for how much. Our unrivaled communications network gives Tradex Global brokers real-time price quotes, scrap availability and over 80,000 active freight rates. We use all our brokerage and transportation know-how to successfully move recycled metal throughout the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, South America, Western Europe, CIS/Russia, Asia, South Africa, Mexico and beyond.
Our growing network of suppliers includes everyone from small, family-owned recyclers to large global corporations. Not ones to sit on our laurels, we’re continually searching for new sources of scrap and scrap substitutes. From the smallest foundries to the largest steelmakers, the world’s most successful scrap consumers trust us to provide the lifeblood of their operations. The recycled scrap we supply to our customers is eventually melted into flat-rolled steel for automobiles; rebar for roadways; structural steel beams for construction; and other iron and steel products. Our customers know that – with 130 years of solid growth, integrity and the strongest balance sheet in the business – we keep our promises.