You may not know that spent steel shot, grit, and dust generated from blasting can be recycled and reused. These services aren’t widely available, but more companies are seeking out specialty recyclers like Wisdom Environmental to help them reduce costs and achieve their zero-landfill goals.
How Steel Shot and Grit is Recycled
Recycling steel shot involves several steps to clean and reprocess it. First, spent and undersized steel shot is collected from shot peening and surface prep operations and brought to the recycling facility. The collected shot is cleaned, then screened to meet S.A.E. specifications for shot and grit screenings (SAE J444). Shot and grit are repackaged, labeled, and sold at a substantial discount relative to virgin material.
Is Recycled Steel Shot a Good Choice for My Company?
There are many benefits to incorporating recycled steel shot into your purchasing practices and manufacturing processes:
1. Cost Savings: Using recycled steel shot can be cost-effective compared to purchasing new shot, as it costs less and does not include scrap steel surcharges. It also reduces the need for raw materials and can lower waste disposal costs.
2. Environmental Benefits: Recycling steel shot reduces the demand for new resources and helps decrease the environmental impact of mining and manufacturing new steel shot.
3. Quality and Performance: Recycled steel shot can perform similarly to new shot if it has been properly processed and meets quality standards.
4. Sustainability Program Contribution: Often overlooked, incorporating recycled steel into your purchasing and manufacturing processes can expand your company’s sustainability footprint.
When deciding whether recycled steel shot is a good choice for your company, consider factors such as the quality and availability of recycled shot, and the specific requirements of your processes. You will also want to evaluate the possible cost reduction and environmental impact of purchasing recycled shot over virgin product.
Curious to know if recycled steel shot is a good fit for your business? Wisdom Environmental offers quality recycled steel shot in a variety of sizes – screened, cleaned, and sorted to SAE standards. Contact a Wisdom rep to discuss how your company can recycle your spent shot, purchase recycled shot, or both.
