With numerous safety awards and exemplary achievements, USM is a proud environmental partner in processing and recycling scrap metals, saving it from landfills. In 1997, while looking to expand its headquarters, USM voluntarily entered the Illinois Brownfield Program. Under this program, USM did extensive clean-up work of the new property to ensure we were operating on clean land while also doing our part to protect the environment.  USM takes pride in the full recovery of the site, not only for the health and safety of our valued employees and the local area, but also for our current and future clients.  USM is inspected monthly by the Department of Environment and to date has not received any citations.

Safety and Compliance are top priority at USM. As a multi-certified company, we have been following environmental and safety standards for years, even before the “green” movement. We began voluntarily subjecting our facility to a number of inspections and programs, including the Illinois Brownfield Program, 20 years before it was required. We believe that operating on clean ground is a responsibility. This sets us apart – we operate on environmentally clean land and keep it that way. This not only keeps with our environmental mission in recycling but, greatly reduces environmental risk to our customers. In fact, USM is one of the few metal processing companies that has earned the OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 certifications.

USM emphasizes safety and environmental compliance in all of our processes. Having a full-time EHS Manager and ISO auditor on staff allows us to stay current with industry best practices, as well as ensuring that all policies and procedures are followed throughout all of USM’s facilities. We ensure that our team leaders hold daily safety meetings, discuss the latest in safety standards, attend monthly safety committee meetings, and undergo all daily, weekly, monthly, and annual environmental checks. We have a dedicated safety compliance specialist on site whose sole responsibility is to ensure all protocols are followed in every step of the process. We are fully dedicated to safety and protecting our environment, which is why we go above and beyond the standard safety requirements.

Recycling Solutions Built on Integrity

USM places an extremely high value on our clients, and it is our mission to ensure that integrity is at the forefront of everything we do. That’s why we closely follow the Metal Market, observing the value of each metal type and the price on the open market. By staying aware of the industry market, we can better anticipate fluctuations and ensure we give our customers the best possible value for their recyclables and scrap.

Long-term industry relationships give us confidence in our pricing, and our costs are based on the active commodity markets, such as LME and COMEX. USM operates its own hedge desk allowing us to give our customers flexibility and protection in the volatile commodity arena. Our strong scrap pricing and flexible payment terms mean that we are able to provide our customers with the best possible price for their scrap metals.