Working together to recycle betterAdvertising Feature

National Recycling Week is here and Matthews Metal Management (MMM) is encouraging everyone to take part. From your old kettle and toaster though to cars which have seen better days, all of that steel can be collected and given another life.

MMM recycling sites source around 1.4 million tonnes of scrap metal every year, shredding it into smaller pieces for sorting and then sending it to their steel mills.

That scrap is fed into electric arc furnaces which produce steel billets which are used to construct everything from bedding springs and buildings to major road projects which include Sydney's WestConnex and Brisbane's Cross River Rail line.

Electric arc furnaces are crucial to decarbonising operations which is why many manufacturers are transitioning to the technology.

MMM's longstanding vertically integrated operation ensures it has been part of the circular economy for the last 40 years.

They will need to recycle more and more steel into the future with demand for their versatile products expected to double by 2050 and global growth dependent on its availability.

As we celebrate National Recycling Week it's a great opportunity to look at how everyone can help extend the lifecycle of steel and ensure scrap is available for reuse, by properly disposing of their steel items. It's also important to acknowledge the important of removing lithium batteries and disposing of these items separately and safely to avoid the fires we have seen in recent years.

Recycling is fast becoming a major industry across NSW and indeed Australia. in 2019, InfraBuild acquired Matthews Metal Management (MMM) and continues to trade under this name providing important scrap metal recycling services in regional NSW.

Former owner and current MMM Business Manager Gordon Matthews said that the MMM business sources scrap metal from households, councils, industrial and commercial businesses, tradesman, automotive recyclers, and even mines. "If it is metal, we can recycle it.

"With the MMM business now being owned by a large vertically integrated steel manufacturer and distributor, this gives regional NSW and opportunity to supply their scrap metal directly into the steel making process," he said. "InfraBuild are truly a full circle when it comes to scrap metal."

With 26 scrap metal recycling sites across Australia, MMM is also playing an important role by transforming scrap into a valuable resource which is a far better alternative to landfill.

As the world moves to decarbonise, recycling is no longer simply about making ourselves feel good, it's an essential behaviour which will help preserve our environment for generations to come.

To find out how you can help be a part of the Matthews Metal Management journey, visit www.matthewsmm.com.au.