Ferrous Metal Recycling

Work with the fastest-growing scrap recycler in Chicago

0 Acres
Ferrous Processing
0 Balers
Largest in Midwest
0K Tons
Purchased Monthly
0 Ways to Move
Barge, Rail & Truck
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Our Capabilites

Largest Balers

Three balers – the largest in the Midwest. Combined processing capacity of 1500 tons daily.

Extensive Processing

69 acres of ferrous processing across our Forest View and Joliet, IL locations. Stationary, mobile shears and torch processing.

High Capacity

30,000 tons purchased monthly. State-of-the-art equipment at Forest View and Joliet facilities.

Setting a New Standard in Turnings Containment

BL Duke has broken ground on an innovative steel turnings’ containment building, a first-of-its-kind project in the Midwest and a significant step forward in safeguarding the cradle-to-grave responsibility of our recycling partners. The state-of-the-art structure will completely enclose steel turnings and cast iron borings at BL Duke’s 60-acre site in Joliet, IL. It is designed to shield the metal turnings from rainwater and prevent environmental runoff, marking a major advancement in upholding our customers’ cradle-to-grave obligations.

Metal Recycling

Ferrous Metals We Recycle

Auto Cast OTM Steel Car Wheels
Busheling Punchings Steel Clips
Cast Iron Pup Coil Steel Coil
Cast Iron Borings Rail Steel Dies
Coiled Plate Rebar Steel Plate
Flashings/Forgings Sheet Iron Steel Turnings
Foundry Grades Shred Steel Wire
Heavy Melt Slitter Strucutural Steel
Machinery Springs Tin Plate

Our Process

Material Receipt

Materials are received and identified by our experienced team.

Identification

Latest technology analyzing equipment ensures precise material identification.

Processing

Materials are, baled, torched, sheared and processed according to type and grade.

Transport & Sale

Processed materials are transported via barge, rail or truck to domestic steel mills.

Environmental Commitment

Our yards on the Des Plaines River follow the strictest environmental standards.

Regulatory Compliance

Fully compliant with all applicable standards set by the U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA, and local environmental agencies.

Waterway Safety

Operations follow all regulatory guidelines established by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard to protect surrounding waterways.

Certified Scale Accuracy

Scales are audited and certified by the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Weights and Measures Division to ensure accurate, transparent transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. 1 Bundles and No. 1 Busheling are prime grades as defined by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). 

No. 1 Heavy Melt, Plate & Structural, Shredded Auto Scrap, Cast–Iron Borings and Steel Turnings are secondary or obsolete grades as defined by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). 

Steel mills and foundries have different material specifications however in general Heavy Metal and Plate have a maximum size requirement of 5 ft. x 2 ft. to be considered prepared.  Anything larger is considered unprepared. 

These materials are processed at our Joliet scrap metal yard on a half-acre impermeable concrete pad.  Here all liquids are retained and processed through our oil water separators.  All hazardous materials are properly disposed of and manifested. 

A gross ton (or long ton) imperial unit of weigh is equivalent to 2240 pounds of 1016.04909 kilograms.  A net ton (or short ton) US unit of weight equivalent to 2000 pounds or 907.184 kilograms. 

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