Do Your Part For The Environment (And Make Money) By Collecting And Selling Scrap Metal

One of the most recyclable materials on the planet is metal. While you should always do your part to make sure you properly dispose of metal content, you should also know there's a thriving market for scrap metal. Here's what you need to know about profiting off scrap metal.

Almost All Scrap Metal is Salable

You don't have to go digging deep for rare types of scrap. Scrap metal is all around you. Of course, some metals have more value than others, but just about all of it can turn into a profit.

A good way to figure out which metals will bring you more money is to understand a little about the basic categorizations of scrap metal. After you gain some understanding of the types, you'll know what you're looking for when searching for scrap metal.

The Two Main Types of Scrap Metal

There are two broad categories of metals.

1. Ferrous Metals – These are metals that contain iron. They're the most plentiful types of metal out there. Good examples of ferrous metals are steel and iron.

Because these types of metals are the most common, they often have low selling prices. When collecting ferrous scrap, your goal is to bundle up as much of it as possible before selling it.

2. Non-ferrous Metals – Non-ferrous metals have no iron content. These types of metal aren't found as easily as ferrous metals. Examples of non-ferrous metals include aluminum, copper, and brass.

These metals have higher price points due to their relative rarity. In addition, these types of metals can become highly sought after if there's a shortage of them in any place at any time.

If you're unsure of what type of scrap metal you have, just stick a magnet to it. Magnets don't stick to most non-ferrous metals.

Where You Can Find Scrap Metal

You can find metal content in just about anything. Keep in mind you can find nuts, bolts, and screws all over the place. There's copper and other metals in appliances, computer hardware, and other gadgets. However, if you want to take your scrap collecting seriously, you need to scour the internet.

Look for people giving away things made of metal or selling metal junk. Cruise around and look for garage sales where people are practically giving away items made of metal or that have metal in them.

You can also head out on trash night and see what kind of things people are leaving on the curb. Many businesses regularly throw away items with metal. Look for them and see if you can make them a regular stop for their scrap metal.

Where You Can Take Scrap Metal

Once you have a good scrap metal collection, it's time to take it all to where it belongs. Many recycling centers like American Northwest Recycling and scrap yards will pay you for metal content by the pound.

A few searches for these types of places more than likely will help you find the centers nearest you. If they have a website, there's a good chance they will list how much they're willing to pay for particular types of scrap metal.

If you dig deeper, you can find other places that purchase metal as well. Since metal is recyclable, there are businesses that go out of their way to purchase particular types of scraps for their products.

Doing Your Part for the Environment

Selling scrap metal can certainly earn you some money. You're also facilitating the much-needed act of recycling metal and keeping it from sitting around in landfills. It's a win-win, but it also requires work.

Are you willing to put in the effort, and learn more about the business of selling scrap metal? You will not only do your part for the environment; you will make a guilt-free profit in the process.