Ships transport up to 90% of what we buy

In our global economy, it seems the flow of ships transporting cargo across oceans is never-ending. Although the flow continues, individual ships stop. After about 25-30 years in service, when a ship become too expensive to maintain and repair, shipping companies decommission it, either selling it to a broker The same is true for any company that owns ships, such as cruise lines.

As with electronic waste, ships contain both valuable metals and toxic materials. Some of the valuable materials are:

  • Steel
  • Aluminum
  • Silver
  • Brass
  • And more…

In fact, up to 95% of a ship’s weight is in steel, which makes ships a valuable source of scrap steel for construction industries. Recycling ships recirculates these metals throughout the economy for reuse.

 

Learn more 

Learn more on shipbreaking.

By the Numbers

  • 20,000 lbs. of copper
  • 550 lbs. of silver
  • 50 lbs. of gold
  • 20 lbs. of palladium