Environmental Awareness
At TCS Metals, we take environmental protection very seriously. Our facility was carefully sited and designed to protect water quality, both groundwater and surface water.
Our facility is one of the few scrap metal yards in Northern California that is entirely surfaced with concrete, protecting ground water. Sorting and storage of metals is conducted inside our large concrete building and under roof, protected from rain.
Working with engineers specializing in water quality protection, we upgraded our roof drain system to keep unwanted stormwater from flowing through the yard and installed a state-of-the-art storm water treatment system.
A number of other Best Management Practices, such as frequent yard sweeping, proper containment of materials and a monitoring program, are implemented to keep the facility as clean as a scrap metal yard can be.
Whether in our yard or yours, scrap metal can release pollutants into the environment. We encourage our customers to protect their scrap from the weather, or better yet—bring it to us and we will handle it for you in an environmentally responsible way.
What are the benefits of recycling scrap metals?
Recycling scrap metal reduces greenhouse gas emissions and uses less energy than making metal from virgin ore. The amount of energy saved using various recycled metals compared to virgin ore is up to:
- — 92 percent for aluminum
- — 90 percent for copper
- — 56 percent for steel
Metal recycling also conserves natural resources. Recycling one ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone. Recycling a ton of aluminum conserves up to 8 tons of bauxite ore and 14 megawatt hours of electricity.