About Us

Scrap metal recycling is our life.

Scrap metal recycling used to be called the “junk business” back in earlier, simpler times when environmental protection was not a concern and “junk metal” was simply hammered or melted into something else if it wasn’t just dumped and forgotten.

Today, we know very well the harmful effects of improperly disposed of waste metal. Science and technology has not only enlightened us as to the dangers of improper disposal, it has also shown us how to more effectively and efficiently recycle scrap metal, turning it from waste into a valuable commodity to be used over and over, creating new wealth while protecting and preserving our environment and the world around us.

Collage | International Metal

Taking scrap metal out of the waste stream and putting it back into the mainstream.
Since Max Fruman started our business in Boston, Massachusetts back in 1903, the science of processing waste metal has come a long way. The rapidly growing scrap metal recycling industry currently generates five billion pounds of scrap metal each year. Innovative processing technologies now enable us to more effectively clean, sort, shred, shear, grade, and bale non-ferrous scrap metals to enhance its value.

Our extensive relationship with mills around the world and the quality, consistency, and reliability of our recycled metals provides us with more and better buyers for our customers’ scrap metal. That, in turn, enables us to offer the industry’s most competitive prices for scrap metal, taking it out of the waste stream and putting it back into the mainstream.

One of the oldest family-owned recycling businesses in the Northeast.
Four generations and more than 100 years after Max Fruman pioneered the metal recycling business here, the company is still family-owned and operated. In fact, we’re one of the oldest family-owned metal recycling businesses in the Northeast. We take pride in our deep and lasting customer relationships – we’re large enough to service you and small enough to know you.

The Recycling Story

The concept of recycling has been around as long as mankind – early humans realized that it’s a lot faster and less costly to reuse a product or material than to make a new one from scratch. Raw materials were often difficult to obtain and process by hand and so materials such as pottery clay were often reprocessed and turned into new earthenware products, to name just one example.

Modern recycling got a boost in the mid-20th century when the world wars caused shortages of critical materials such as paper, rubber, and metals and recycling campaigns – referred to back then as “salvaging” — were launched.. But as the world emerged from conflict and entered a new era of prosperity, recycling took a back seat as an exploding demand for consumer goods, a rapidly growing workforce, and the introduction of automated processes made it cheaper and easier to manufacture goods from a steady stream of raw materials.

As the world entered an increasingly volatile political and economic era in the waning decades of the 20th century, recycling slowly grew in popularity as energy costs skyrocketed and access to overseas resources were imperiled. Governments around the world encouraged recycling through legislation that rewarded people and companies who recycled with refunds and tax credits.

Recycling | International Metal

Why recycle?

It’s very simple – the world is a finite place. Every scrap, drop, and ounce of our resources is limited to what’s here, right now. The earth will not suddenly develop new deposits of iron or aluminum ore. We are restricted to the air and water that already exist and we are rapidly making all of it dirty. There will not be more coming from somewhere else, and the world is very small.

Recycling is the most important and impactful thing we can do to slow – even stop, in some cases – the depletion of our natural resources. Many metals, such as steel, can be endlessly recycled without loss of quality or durability.

Manufacturing’s impact upon our water and air is significantly reduced when recycled materials are used. Less energy is consumed, less waste is generated, and smaller landfills are needed to handle what’s left.

Just how efficient is recycling?

Many of today’s products are manufactured specifically to recapture valuable raw materials. Automobiles are one of the most recyclable products on the market – up to 85% of most cars can be recycled and in some cases it approaches 100%. Modern appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are mostly steel and up to 75% recyclable. In fact, a large part of the American steel industry uses recycled steel – approximately three-quarters of all the steel used in this country is recycled into new products.

And it doesn’t stop there. The energy savings from recycling are impressive, too. Using recycled scrap steel to make new steel products reduces energy consumption by 60% compared to processing raw iron ore to make virgin steel for the same product.

As a result, recycling has become a $65 billion industry as more materials are recycled more efficiently and more companies realize there is revenue contained in their metal scraps.

Recycling doesn’t just make sense, it makes dollars.