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It strikes me as extraordinary that we dump so much metal - isn't it easier to reprocess, than to extract new iron ore?
by flipbrad 5y ago
It strikes me as extraordinary that we dump so much metal - isn't it easier to reprocess, than to extract new iron ore?
- blamazon 5y agoRelated cool table: https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/what-is-the-embodied-energy-of-materials.html https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/what-is-the-embodied-energy-... Various industrial metals are recycled all the time at scrapyards across the world. For example, school buses in USA are commonly reprocessed at end of life. The problem is that it's a low-margin business in most places and it quickly can become economically unfeasible. 1,000 subway cars is a tall order for any scrap yard with a lot of 'overhead' involving specialized disassembly that would eat that margin real quick, I presume.
- rr808 5y agoExactly, the other part is it should be easy to transport by rail too!