Recycling News

Where To Sell Scrap Metal

With so many household and industrial items being at least partly constructed of metal it is no surprise that the scrap metals market is a thriving one. Scrap metal prices are high right now, and will remain so as the need to recycle metals becomes ever more important. Even in the home there can be many items of scrap metal that may be worth some money, while factories and other industrial outlets will undoubtedly have old machinery from time to time, as well as other items.

So, where to sell scrap metal?

The industry is regulated these days, and this helps deter thieves who, in past years, may have stolen valuable metal items to sell. Look for reputable scrap metal yards and you will get the best prices. Lets have a closer look at what can and cant be sold.

What a Scrap Metal Merchant will not buy

Many items contain metal in parts, and other materials overall. Some of these will be accepted by the scrap metal dealer, who will remove the metal for recycling and dispose of the remainder in the correct fashion. Some items, however, are not accepted by scrap metal dealers.

Heres a brief list so you know what not to offer your scrap metal buyer:

  • Anything made from wood, glass or plastic
  • Anything made from porcelain or china
  • Tyres
  • Aerosol cans
  • TV sets and monitors
  • Any radioactive materials

The above is by no means a comprehensive list, but it gives a good idea of the types of items that you should discard of rather than offer for sale. Also, it is worth bearing in mind that, in some cases, the scrap metal buyers will charge a fee for removing tyres from vehicles bought for scrap.

What a Scrap Metal Recycler will buy

Put simply, any scrap metal items from which the metal can be recycled will be of interest to scrap metal yard. The types of metal sought by scrap metal recyclers include the following:

    Copper, including wiring
  • Aluminum, in all forms
  • Ferrous metals such as cast iron
  • Lead
  • Brass and Bronze
  • Stainless steel

These are the most common forms of metal that are attractive to the scrap metal recycling center, and if you are unsure of the validity of an item they will be more than happy to help you.

Let's have a closer look at some of the items that come within the above metal categories.

Copper

Copper is a valuable metal that is also widely used, and can be found both in the home and within industrial and commercial facilities. Wire, extension cords, electric motors and phone wire all use copper, while in the home you may have pots or pans that are copper, or even ornaments that you no longer want.

Aluminum

One of the most common elements on Earth, Aluminum is also one of the most widely used metals. It can be found in wheels, both on automobiles and trucks, it is used often for guttering on buildings, and is common in extrusions for many uses. Printing shops use aluminum for litho plates, and it is also present in a wide range of popular household items.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is widely used in the home for faucets and is the primary material for nuts and bolts. Old nuts and bolts will certainly be of interest to scrap metal yards. It is also used in industrial appliances, for marine applications, and in various pipes, so if you are renovating a building you may find the old pipes are worth some money.

Brass and Bronze

A valuable metal that fetches decent prices, brass is found in many older buildings in the form of faucets, pipes, valves, heating radiators and cores, and also in many ornamental fittings and fixtures. Bronze is found largely in ornamental fixtures, and is also a valuable commodity in the scrap metal world.

Ferrous Metals and Lead

Iron in all its forms, plus tin, cast iron and plate steel are commonly found in the home and in industrial sites, and scrap metal recyclers are always interested in such. Lead is not so widely used now as it once was, but you may find old pipes and some casings are lead and will be readily recycled.

The above covers the most common forms of metal that will be accepted by a scrap metal recycling yard, but there is much more that you can offer them to make some money.

Further Items of Interest

If we look around a home, shop, office or factory there are many items that are made of, or partly consist of, metal components, and many of these will be of interest to metal recyclers. The obvious one to mention is scrap vehicles; there are specific regulations surrounding the scrapping and recycling of unwanted cars and trucks, and reputable scrap metal recyclers will know what is of interest, and will dispose of the residue in the correct manner.

The same is true of old machinery, which needs careful handling depending upon its type and former usage.

Batteries are also of interest to scrap metal recycling companies; many batteries will contain certain less common metals, and these can fetch serious money when recycled. Indeed, it is important that you take any old batteries  whether they were for auto use or home use  to a recycler as they must be disposed of in a safe fashion.

Other items that may be of interest to the scrap metal recycling plant include:

    Office furniture such as file cabinets, desks, tables and chairs
  • Bikes, tools and other items that may be lying around in the garage
  • Metal garden furniture and lawn mowers
  • Gutters and pipes
  • Computer hardware
  • Air conditioning units and heat exchangers
  • Old motors

Basically, if you have an item that is in part metal, it may be that the scrap metal buyers will be interested in buying it from you.

Take care to find a reputable and established scrap metal buyer and you will be able to convert your old metal items into money, it really is that simple.

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