Learning About Metal Recycling
3 Important Things To Know About Scrap Metal Recycling
Barry Mills
It is essential to recycle items that you are no longer using, including metal items. Metal-based items can be dropped off at a recycling center, or you can earn money from them, as this material is precious in all of its forms and holds value.
Scrap Metal Pays
With your recycling bin, you pay your garbage service to pick up your recycling and haul it away. You don't make any money on the items that are picked up and recycled; you just get to enjoy the feeling of contributing positively to the environment. With scrap metal, you are not going to get the curbside pickup to your home. Generally, you have to take the material directly to the appropriate facility, such as a scrap yard, on your own. The flip side is that when you drop it off, you will get paid for your recycling due to the high value attributed to metals that can be reused and repurposed into something else.
The rate that you will earn depends on a variety of different factors.
Two Types of Metals
Second, it is essential to understand that all metals can be broken down into two broad categories – ferrous or non-ferrous. It is important to understand the differences between these two categories and to separate your collected materials into the two categories.
The easiest way to identify and categorize the material is with a magnet. If a magnet sticks to the material, that means you have a ferrous metal on your hands, such as iron or steel. This type of metal isn't as valuable as non-ferrous metal, but you will still make a little money on it.
If the magnet doesn't stick, you have a non-ferrous metal, such as bronze, brass, aluminum, copper, or stainless steel. These materials have a higher value and are worth more money when you take them to the scrap yard.
It is best to separate your metals into ferrous and non-ferrous to make the process of turning them in and earning money easier. If possible, you will also want to break them down into different types of metals as well.
Know Your Specific Metals
If you really want to make money, you need to learn how to identify different high-value metals.
One of the most valuable metals you can collect is copper. It is a reddish color that can wear down to a darker brown color with a little green rust on it. This material is used in construction for things such as plumbing and gutters and can even be found in wires and air conditioners.
Another precious metal is brass, which has a yellow color and can have a little bit of a red tint to it. This is physically dense and is often used in things such as door handles and light fixtures. Due to the density of the material, it doesn't take much to make a little money.
If you want to recycle and make a little money doing it, you can collect and recycle ferrous and non-ferrous metals at your local scrap yard, where you will be paid a little money for the metals you bring in. Sort and clean up your materials before bringing them in to get the best value for them.
For more information, contact a ferrous steel recycling service in your area.
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Hello everyone, my name is Suzi Lanson. Welcome to my site. I want to talk about the different tools and techniques used for metal recycling. The backyard in my first home was a graveyard of broken appliances, tools and tin cans of all sizes. I looked at the collection sitting there in horror at first. A friend pointed out that the piles of garbage were actually a recycling goldmine. We transported the materials to a metal recycling facility and split the cash. I was pleasantly surprised to hear nearly all of the items could be broken down and processed to create new products. I will talk about the metal recycling process in more detail on this site.