Scrap metal yards purchase metal based on weight. You drive into the scrap yard and stop your vehicle (and trailer sometimes) on a large scale where they record your weight. You then drive over to the discharge pile and either unload your metal by hand, or a giant excavator with a powered magnate can pick it up for you.
After unloading the metal, you drive back out to another scale where you are weighed again, and either are cut a check or given a little atm card that’s redeemable for cash at the scrap yard atm. Depending on the time and day of the week, it can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 45 minutes to get in and out of the scrap yard.
You can use the iScrap App to find scrapyards in your local area.
You can use the iScrap App to find scrapyards in your local area.
What kind of metals are there?
Ferrous and non-ferrous.
Determining if you have a ferrous or non-ferrous metal and separating it is the first important step before bringing it to be recycled. The easiest and most common way to figure out what kind of metal you have is by grabbing a magnet.
Hint: If you don’t have a handheld magnet handy, any magnet will do – even one from your fridge.
If the magnet sticks to your metal: You have a ferrous metal in your hands, something common like steel or iron. Ferrous metal is not worth very much when you bring it to the scrap yard, but the scrap yard will still accept it and make sure it is recycled properly.
If the magnet does not stick to your metal: The metal you have is a non-ferrous metal. Many common metals, like copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel and bronze are categorized as non-ferrous metals. These metals are very valuable to recycle and are worth more money at the scrap yard.Make sure you separate all of your metal BEFORE you get to the yard. Many scrap yards will not let people do separating at the door, because the yard will make less money. You’ll also tie up their labor and could hold up other customers. Make sure that you have your materials separated the best that you can in preparation of bring it to the scrap yards. If you don’t sort your scrap then the scrap yard owner will classify all of your scrap as the least valuable in the load.
How much is scrap metal actually worth?
Your best bet is to call ahead to any of your local scrapyards and figure out which one is offering the best prices for the metal. In most cases you will find that they are all comparable to one another. Market prices are always changing based on supply and demand but, here are some rough numbers to work from:
Light iron and other ferrous metals: $.06-$.10 per lb,
Copper: $2.65 per lb.
Insulated copper wire: $.90 per lb.
Brass: $1.60 per lb.
Stainless steel: $.42 cents per lb.
Aluminum: $.50 cents per lb.
It’s not uncommon for a scrapper to make up to $100-$200 a day
A serious scrapper should have business cards that can be handed out upon pickup of scrap metal to get the word out about your services. They can also be used for return calls from residents and business owners for other removals in the future. It isn’t difficult to make money recycling scrap metal, but you’ve got to be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to learn the business and make the connections necessary to make a decent living.
Light iron and other ferrous metals: $.06-$.10 per lb,
Copper: $2.65 per lb.
Insulated copper wire: $.90 per lb.
Brass: $1.60 per lb.
Stainless steel: $.42 cents per lb.
Aluminum: $.50 cents per lb.
It’s not uncommon for a scrapper to make up to $100-$200 a day
A serious scrapper should have business cards that can be handed out upon pickup of scrap metal to get the word out about your services. They can also be used for return calls from residents and business owners for other removals in the future. It isn’t difficult to make money recycling scrap metal, but you’ve got to be willing to put in the time and effort it takes to learn the business and make the connections necessary to make a decent living.
What are the best methods for making a living collecting scrap metal?
1. Use a utility trailer with a ramp. Scrap metal can be messy and will rough up the back of a truck pretty quickly. Plus, it can be pretty difficult loading really heavy items into a truck.
2. Get metal from the craigslist free section. There is a lot of scrap metal given away on the free section every day. You must be quick to respond though.
3. Establish a recurring network of metal sources. Go to one apartment complex each day and meet the maintenance person. Give them a business card and tell them to call or email you whenever they have metal to get rid of. Be polite and show up looking professional. Shave. If you are pleasant to deal with and show up on time you can establish a lot of sources for scrap metal.
4. Look up your city's bulk trash pick up dates and zones. Visit those neighborhoods and pick up any scrap metal that is being thrown out.
4. Look up your city's bulk trash pick up dates and zones. Visit those neighborhoods and pick up any scrap metal that is being thrown out.
5. Don’t scrap everything. Some appliances aren’t worth scrapping. Some washers and dryers can be worth 10 times more if you spend a few dollars and repair them, and a little bit of time cleaning them up. At least set them aside and sell them to someone that repairs appliances. Metal shelves are often worth reselling, as well as lawnmowers and other power equipment.
How much are your appliances and other metal items actually worth?
Washing machine $18-$22 average weight 200 lbs.
Dryer $8-$10 average weight 100 lbs.
Refrigerator with top freezer $16-18 average weight with the compressor taken out 175 lbs.
Side by side refrigerator $24-$28 average weight with the compressor removed 250 lbs.
Ovens and ranges $11-$18 average weight 125 lbs.
Full size Gas BBQ $16-20 average weight 180 lbs.
Cast iron bathtub $30-$40 average weight over 300 lbs.
All of these examples are for newer appliances. Many older appliances were made with thicker gauge steel and can weigh significantly more. For refrigerators and freezers, the compressor and freon must be removed by a licensed professional before they can be scrapped. It is much simpler, and often more profitable to look up your local utility company and ask them if they have an old refrigerator/freezer purchasing program. Many states have programs that pay as much as $40-$50 for them and they will pick the refrigerator or freezer up from your home.
Recycling Facts
- A used aluminum can is recycled and back on the grocery shelf as a new can, in as little as 60 days. That’s closed loop recycling at its finest!
- Used aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled item in the U.S., but other types of aluminum, such as siding, gutters, car components, storm window frames, and lawn furniture can also be recycled.
- Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours — or the equivalent of a half a gallon of gasoline.
- More aluminum goes into beverage cans than any other product.
- Because so many of them are recycled, aluminum cans account for less than 1% of the total U.S. waste stream, according to EPA estimates.
- An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!
- There is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can be recycled.
- We use over 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year.
- At one time, aluminum was more valuable than gold!
- A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel. In one year in the U.S., the recycling of steel saves enough energy to heat and light 18,000,000 homes!
- An estimated 80,000,000 Hershey’s Kisses are wrapped each day, using enough aluminum foil to cover over 50 acres of space — that’s almost 40 football fields. All that foil is recyclable, but not many people realize it.
- Recycling aluminum saves money, energy, and manpower because preparing aluminum products from virgin metal consumes close to 100 times the power required to recycle aluminum. If all aluminum produced is regularly recycled, the energy saved is enough to light up a medium-sized city for close to five years!
