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Common Mistakes To Avoid While Scrapping

Posted on by Klein Recycling
Rusty Scrap

Avoiding mistakes in scrapping will not only earn you more money but will also save you from injury.  Here is a list of some common mistakes to avoid while scrapping. 

Not Wearing Safety Gear

With jagged edges, scrap metal can poke and puncture the skin causing deep cuts.  All areas of your body must be protected while scrapping. Remember this list: wear gloves to protect your hands, puncture-resistant pants and long-sleeves to protect your skin, googles to protect your eyes, and a helmet to protect your head.  By protecting your body, you will prevent injury and avoid going to the hospital.  

Carry a first-aid kit to treat yourself quickly in the event of an injury.  Make sure your first-aid kit carries the essentials like tweezers for picking out splinters, band-aids, topical anti-biotic cream, and a bottle of water.  

Not Checking Prices

The price of metal fluctuates very much like the stock market.  If you don’t go to the scrap yard every week, chances are the price has changed since your last visit.  This may mean waiting a bit until prices rise again before scraping your metal. Just knowing prices will give you more negotiating power at the scrap yard.

Not Separating Materials

Scrap yards are notorious for giving you the price for the lowest metal in a bin, meaning that if you have a bin filled with many different types of metals, you’ll get the price for the lowest metal.  By separating your metals, you’ll receive a higher price for your metals overall because you’ll get the price for each individual metal and not the lowest one. Label your containers with metal types and then as you’re scrapping, just put each metal into it’s own container.  

Not Using A Magnet

Magnets are one of the most important tools for scrappers.  They help distinguish between non-ferrous and ferrous metals and help you separate your metals into different scrapping containers.   Ferrous metals stick to the magnet and contain metals like steel and iron but have less monetary value than non-ferrous metals like brass, copper, and aluminum.  Non-ferrous metals don’t stick to magnets. Keep a magnet on hand and it will save you a lot of time identifying your scrap.  

Going to a Scrap Yard With A Bad Reputation

Just like any other business, some scrap yard owners will give you great prices while others’ will mislead you on price and how to manage your scrap in order to influence price.  Do some background research on your local scrap yards such as calling them up first and asking for prices before you commit to the yard and haul your scrap over there.

Being Misled By Different Scrap Metal Grades

Before you get to the scrap yard, you’ll want to be sure what’s the grade of metal that you have.  For example, you may go to the scrap yard believing you have #1 bare bright wire but it’s only insulated copper cable because you didn’t know that you had to strip it.  Another example is that you believe you have insulated cable only to find out it’s data wire. You’re going to notice a huge difference in pricing when this type of confusion occurs.  Make sure that you find out which material you have before going to the scrap yard and know how the scrap yard likes it prepared in order to make the most amount of money from your scrap.   Avoiding mistakes while scrapping will not only keep you safe but also earn you more profit.  Give Klein Recycling a call today at 908-722-2288 and we’ll buy your scrap!

The Beginner’s Guide To Scrapping

Posted on by Klein Recycling
Metal Scrapping for Recycling

Find Scrap Anywhere

Scrap is everywhere, all around you and can be sold for profit.  It’s simply metal people want to throw away but much of the time, don’t for whatever reason.  You can easily take this scrap off of peoples’ hands or even from your own house and sell it to scrap yards earning anywhere from $.10 to $2/pound.

There are many easy places to find scrap.  One such place is around your house: that old grill, lawnmower or out of date lawn furniture all contain metal that can be scrapped for profit.  Even A/C units can be scrapped. Finding scrap at your friends’ or family’s house is another great place to find scrap.    

Another place is online.  Both Facebook and Craigslist’s marketplace are filled with people giving things away for free which contain scrap metal.  Simply collect these free items and bring them to our scrap yard at Klein Recycling.  Once you know where to look, you’ll be able to spot scrap all over.  The next step is to collect scrap and ensure you are getting the best possible price.    

How To Get The Best Price

Most people just bring scrap to the scrap yard and get whatever price they can.  These people will get low prices for their scrap, mainly because they do not separate their metals and do not bargain for prices.  There are a few things you can do to make sure that you get top dollar for your scrap. 

Firstly, different metals are sold at different prices.  You’ll get paid more for non-ferrous metals like copper, brass, and aluminum than for ferrous metals like steel and iron.  When scrapping, make sure to sort your metals by putting them into different labeled containers. Then, at the scrapyard, you’ll get the price for a specific metal instead of the lowest price for all your metals combined.

Some scrappers wait until metal prices increase before selling their scrap.  The value of metal consistently fluctuates due to different variables such as import prices, export prices, and availability.  Waiting for the price to increase means you’ll reap more profits for your metals but if you wait too long, you risk more damage or grime to the metal.  Scrapyard owners price scrap metal partly on the quality of goods so its best to sell your scrap before it gets damaged over time. You can wait for prices to increase if metal prices are particularly low just don’t wait too long.     

Use A Magnet

Magnets help you identify and assess the value of a piece of metal and will be your best friend when scrapping.  It is key in distinguishing between ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals, which will help you sort your metals.  If the magnet sticks to the metal, then what you have is a ferrous metal that contains metal like steel and iron but if the magnet doesn’t stick, then you have a non-ferrous metal, which has more monetary value.  A lot of scrappers focus on non-ferrous metals due to the large difference in price value and this difference is because non-ferrous metals are harder to find, weigh less, and have a greater resistance to corrosion.  Non-ferrous metals get you anywhere from $.30/pound to $2.00/pound while ferrous metals normally get to you around $.10/pound. Always have a magnet on hand to help identify and sort your metals. 

Scrapping Safety Guidelines

Scrap metal injuries may occur due to jagged edges and can cut your skin.  Make sure to expose as little skin as possible while scrapping. Use gloves, wear quality boots, and wear puncture-resistant long-sleeves and pants.  You’ll also want to protect your eyes and head while scrapping, do this by wearing a goggle and a helmet. Scrapping becomes dangerous when you don’t protect yourself from rusted, protruding metal.

You’ll also want to have a first aid kit nearby because let’s face it, accidents happen.  In the kit, keep the usual band-aids and bandages, tweezers for picking out splinters, topical antibiotic cream for wounds, a bottle of water, anti-allergy medicine, and pain relievers.  Make sure to never rush while scrapping, moving slowly as to not accidentally grab a sharp edge. If you wear the right clothes and move carefully, you should be able to avoid injury. Scrapping is an accessible side job, where you can earn a few extra hundred dollars per month.  We, at Klein Recycling, are a local scrap yard and we’d be happy to purchase your scrap.  Give us a call today!

The Three Best Metals To Scrap

Posted on by Klein Recycling
metal shavings from best metal to scrap

There is a category of metals that earns scrappers the most money.  Unfortunately, most scrappers simply scrap any kind of metal they find, not giving much thought as to what type of metal they scrap or what prices they can earn. If you spend your time wisely while scrapping, you can earn a few hundred dollars extra each month just by scrapping specific types of metal.  These types of metal are called non-ferrous metals and we purchase non-ferrous metals anywhere from $.30/pound to a whopping $2.00/pound at Klein Recycling.  

Metal, as you know, is surprisingly heavy.  Just by collecting some metal lying around, it is easier than you think to earn some real cash.  There are three common non-ferrous metals, which include copper, brass, and aluminum. By focusing on these three metals, you put yourself in a position to earn top dollar and spend your time scrapping wisely.    

Aluminum

Aluminum is the most common type of non-ferrous metal.  You can find aluminum almost everywhere, like cans, automobile parts, bicycles, household appliances, and aluminum foil.   Aluminum is easily melted down and reused indefinitely making it environmentally friendly and when melted down, you’re also helping to save around 90% of the energy it takes to create a new aluminum product. The rates for aluminum change daily but they average around $.30 per pound.  Scrapping aluminum is an easy way to earn extra cash each month because of how accessible it is.    

Brass

Finding brass can be tricky but also one of the most rewarding metals to scrap.  Some household items that contain brass are bed frames, serving trays, brass faucets, door handles, and lamps.  Usually, the brass that you find in these items is known as yellow brass. Yellow brass is often found in plumbing materials and pipes as well. 

Another type of brass is red brass, which contains some copper in it.  We’ll pay you more for red brass than yellow brass but don’t worry, you’ll still earn good money for both types. We’ll pay you around $1.50/pound for your brass.  Just make sure your brass is clean with no plastic, rubber, or steel in it. The next type of scrap that is extremely valuable is copper.    

Copper

Copper is in high demand at scrap yards and you’ll earn the most money by finding and scrapping copper. It is used in nearly every industry that requires metals and is infinitely recyclable. It’s re-used to make motors, construction materials, industrial machinery and more.  Copper prices often fluctuate and you’ll want to do some background research before selling to make sure you get the best price for your copper. You may even need to wait a short period of time for copper prices to rise.   

There are three main types of copper that are recycled and can earn you upwards of $2.00/pound. Copper #2 is the third most valuable type of copper and is composed of pipe, a solid metal that has paint, solder, or any other coating, and unalloyed wire.  To meet the #2 copper grade, the copper must not have insulation or be thinner than 1/16 inch in diameter. Copper #1 is the second most profitable copper and is made of bus bars, clippings, commutator segments and wire of at least 1/16 inch in diameter. 

The most valuable copper is known as Bare Bright copper and is 99% pure copper, which must be at least 1/16 inch thick and uncoated.  Bare Bright copper must be stripped of any fittings or insulation as well as uncoated and unalloyed. Overall, your time is spent wisely by scrapping non-ferrous metals because these three metals, aluminum, brass, and copper are priced high enough to make your time scrapping worth it.    

Quick Tip

Each container of metal is priced based on the lowest value metal in that bin.  You should separate all metal pieces by metal type. This sorting ensures that your metals are priced at the highest price according to each metal type.  At Klein Recycling, we’ll be happy to purchase your metals from you at an amazingly profitable rate. Give us a call today at (908) 722-2288.

How To Effectively Recycle Scrap Metal In Your Home

Posted on by Klein Recycling
Aluminum Can Scrap

What is Scrap Metal?

Scrap metal is usually defined as being a material that is at least 50% metal, even if it is surrounded by other materials such as plastic. One piece of advice is to remove metal parts from materials that are mostly non metal. This includes things such as staplers, binders, and old desks. Additionally, scrap metal is broken down into either being ferrous or nonferrous. Ferrous metal is one that contains iron while nonferrous is all other metal. It is important that we all know what scrap metal is and how it is classified, before taking any steps to recycle it.

Where to Find Scrap Metal?

Many people believe that scrap metal comes from complex and expensive items such as cars and planes. However, scrap metal can also come from common household items like lamps, faucets, pots, pans, and cans. These metals can be found in places such as the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

Another place where one can find scrap metal is the lawn. With all the equipment one uses for maintenance of the lawn, you can recycle the metal as it ages. Additionally, these types of equipment are especially useful because of the advanced technology engineered into them. Plumbing equipment as well as pipes are valuable pieces of scrap metal that can be exchanged with scrap collecting companies. If you keep at, you are guaranteed to obtain some sort of scrap metal.

Why Make the Effort?

The primary reason we all should care about recycling scrap metal is the environment. In addition to recycling our resources, we can reduce the amount of emissions that are produced. Statistical analysis from the EPA shows that the amount of emissions reduced can be the equivalent of millions of cars. As if this wasn’t a convincing enough reason, one can also consider the monetary reward involved, especially once the metal pieces become more valuable.

Deliver Your Scrap Metal

There are many scrap metal collectors and buyers who can either purchase your material or direct you to the right person. Some companies can only purchase a specific type of metal while others purchase all types. Although this industry wasn’t always widely used by the public, the increase in emphasis on such conservation has led to growth in public awareness. Regardless of the required energy and effort, we all, as citizens of this planet, should fulfill our obligation of conserving and recycling resources.

How to Prevent Scrap Metal Theft

Scrap Metal theft has become a major problem in the industry as metal has become a more valuable commodity. Theft events have led to a new institution known as the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), which monitors the tracking of sold and stolen metals. Through continued reporting by the public and citizens themselves, ISRI can reduce the amount of scrap metal robberies taking place.

Recycling scrap metal is an integral part of conserving our resources and creating new items out of older ones. Here at Klein’s Recycling, we keep this tradition alive by buying scrap metal and recycling it to innovate and create new objects. Our service is dedicated to providing the best recycling service possible.

How To Make The Most Amount Of Money From Your Scrap Metal

Posted on by Klein Recycling
Money from scrap metal

Most people just bring a bucket of scrap to the scrap yard and earn the lowest possible amount for their scrap.  This is because people don’t know the tricks of earning top dollar for scrap. Earning that extra income from your scrap metal is entirely possible and because you are putting in the effort anyway, you might as well get paid the most amount of money that you can.  At Klein Recycling, we’ll not only purchase your scrap but also make sure you get top dollar.  

Here are a few ways to make sure you get the most amount of money from your scrap:

Separate Your Scrap

Unless your scrap metal is separated, scrap yards will count them as the lowest priced metal.  For example, if you have a bin filled with aluminum, copper, and brass, the scrapyard owner will give you aluminum prices when copper prices are higher.  Separating each metal will wield you more profit because you’ll get higher prices for the rarer metals.

To separate your scrap, set up different containers in your garage or where you scrap that are pre-labeled with the specific type of metal and throw your scrap into each different container. If you are unsure which metal is which, you can use this guide.  Having a system to separate your metals will consistently make you more money.

Scrap Non-Ferrous Metals

There is a difference between ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals in the scrapping world.  Ferrous metals contain iron and are much easier to get a hold of than non-ferrous metals. Most household appliances like microwaves, washing machines, a/c units, and old refrigerators are ferrous metals.  You can scrap these metals for quick cash.

Non-ferrous metals are harder to find but will reward you more money.  The main types of non-ferrous metals are aluminum, copper, and brass. Aluminum is the easiest to seek out of the non-ferrous metals and scraps for around $.30/pound.  You can find aluminum in house sidings and frames, gutters, car parts, car rims, and wires.

The next non-ferrous metal to scrap is brass.  Brass will gain you around $1.40/pound! Brass is most often found in pipe fittings, rods, castings, and even bullet casings.  Identifying brass and scraping it earns you more for your money than most other metals.  

The only other metal that can offer you a higher reward is copper at around a whopping $2/pound.  By focusing on copper for scraping, you can add a significant side hustle into your life. Copper tubing is often found in the structures of houses and buildings and plumbing work.  

In short, you can earn quick cash scraping old household goods and you can earn significant income scrapping non-ferrous metals like copper, brass, and aluminum.  Make sure to implement some of the above strategies to earn as much as you can from your time scraping.  

Finding Free Scrap Metal

One of the easiest ways to earn money scrapping is to scrap other peoples’ stuff.  By going on craigslist or the Facebook marketplace, you can find scrap metal by taking electronics, cars, and appliances off peoples’ hands.  You can simply search for scrap metal or free stuff on these sites and find metal to scrap. Of course, you will need a truck or a vehicle to pick up these items.  

Making the most of scrapping is simply about knowing what to do and where to look.  The easiest way to find extra scrap metal is in your house, friends’ houses, or online.  Many people throw out scrap metal at local dumpsters as well and some businesses leave their scrap metal out back for weeks at a time.  Often, construction workers have access to unused metal that they can scrap themselves.  It is entirely possible to earn a few hundred dollars per month scrapping and at Klein Recycling, we want to help you accomplish this goal by purchasing your scrap.  Give us a call today!

How Does Weather Affect Scrap Metal Prices?

Posted on by Klein Recycling
Alumunum Scrap

Winter brings with it cold, wet weather that affects our mood, how we eat, and even what activities we engage in, but did you know it also affects the scrap metal industry? There is less scrap metal available during the winter months, which means scrap metal recycling slows down, as well. These conditions can actually raise the price of available scrap metal. But why should the weather affect scrap metal?

Fewer Construction Projects

When the weather is cold and snowy, most construction projects slow down, or even take a pause. No one wants to spend hours outside working. Because of that, scrap metal that comes from construction projects becomes less available – or even unavailable. Even plumbing work slows down, aside from emergency jobs like frozen pipes. Therefore, scrap metal from plumbing jobs is much more difficult to come by in the winter.

Scrappers Leave Town

Recycling plants rely on people to sell or donate their scrap metal from junk cars, construction projects, and even smaller projects that lead to an accumulation of scrap metal. People who would ordinarily sell scrap metal or have work done on their house that produces scrap metal tend to go on vacation during the winter months, especially around the holidays in December and January, or for President’s Day weekend (and longer, if you have kids off from school that entire week) in February.

Delayed Transportation of Scrap Metal Material

When the weather is bad, trucks hauling scrap metal take longer to get to their destinations. They may be held up by blinding snow, slippery roads, or heavy rains. Cargo ships may be unable to deliver their scrap metal load due to bad weather at sea. This delay in scrap metal delivery slows down the industry, which as a direct effect on scrap metal prices.

Weather Can Affect the Price of Scrap Metal

The American Metal Market magazine reported a projected increase in the price of scrap metal for March, and one shredder in the Southern U.S. has attributed part of this increase to the heavy rains those states have experienced this winter. After all, the demand is still there, but the supply has diminished. That said, most scrappers interviewed reported that are keeping their buying prices down for now. It remains to be seen how prices fluctuate as we head into Spring, but you can rest assured that recycling plants such as Klein’s Recycling, will always be working hard to recycle scrap metal all year long!

Understanding Twitch in the Metal Market in 2019

Posted on by Klein Recycling

What is Twitch?

In order to understand the twitch metal market, we first have to define what exactly “twitch” is. When a vehicle is scrapped for metal, the combination of non-ferrous metals that have been separated from the shredded material (known as Zorba) and further processed into something called “light fraction” (achieved by separating the aluminum and magnesium contents from the copper, zinc, brass, bronze, and stainless steel) is called twitch. Twitch is an important part of the scrap metal industry because aluminum, one of the chief metals found in twitch, is such a versatile material with countless usages. It is easy and cost effective to work with, resists corrosion unless under extreme circumstances, conducts electricity, and is lightweight yet durable. Aluminum is so strong and versatile, it is used by the U.S. Army and even NASA.

Twitch is Good For the Environment and the Economy

Recycling aluminum is important because it costs less and is more environmentally friendly than mining for raw metals. Aluminum can actually be recycled an indefinite amount of times, so it’s extremely beneficial to keep it in circulation rather than trashing it. Additionally, aluminum makes cars, planes, and rockets lighter, causing them to require less energy when in use. This is called “lightweighting” and has the potential to significantly lower the carbon footprint of the transportation industry.

Not only is recycling aluminum better for the environment, but it also benefits the economy. The Aluminum Association reports that 3.3 employment opportunities are created in response to each aluminum industry job. The industry itself employs over 160,000 employees. It is also cost-effective to recycle aluminum. A study done by the Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling at the Metal Processing Institute found that the recycling rate of automotive aluminum is 91%, meaning that only a small percentage of aluminum is lost in the recycling process.

Pricing Pressure in the Twitch Metal Market

As reported by the American Metal Market magazine, international demand for twitch is growing, but suppliers are trying to raise prices. Buyers have been tempted by the lower prices of non-twitch shredded metal, putting pressure on the twitch industry to be more competitive. The price difference between twitch and other secondary aluminum alloys is currently 31 cents per pound. Additionally, some auto shredder operators have seen as much as a 20% drop in inbound materials, which could negatively impact the success of the twitch metal market if the pattern continues or becomes more widespread. Consumers are pushing for a price reduction and negotiations are ongoing.


The benefits of recycling aluminum are significant. Bring your scrap metal to Klein’s Recycling to contribute to the health of the planet and the creation of jobs in the recycling industry.

Metal Money 101: The End-of-2018 United States Metals Market Explained

Posted on by Klein Recycling

Why Do We Care About the Metals Market?

The metals market in the United States affects the recycling industry and the price of metals in the rest of the world. Earlier in 2018, there was a lot of talk about President Trump’s metal tariffs and how they would affect the metal market as a whole. In order to better understand the metals market, it’s helpful to know the different kinds of metals and what happened when President Trump actually did impose the metals tariff.

Ferrous vs. Non-ferrous Metal

There are two main categories of metal–ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous metals have iron in them, which means they are magnetic and susceptible to rust. Most scrap metal, such as car parts, falls under the category of ferrous metals. Non-ferrous metals don’t contain iron and don’t rust. Examples of non-ferrous metals include aluminum, lead, zinc, copper, and stainless steel.

Metals Tariff

Just before the summer of 2018, President Trump placed a tax, or a tariff, on metals imported into the United States from other countries–specifically a 10% tax on aluminum and a 25% tax on steel. Such a tariff discourages the use of foreign metals and encourages local metal production. Many industries, such as construction, energy production (especially solar and wind), and car production, heavily rely on the use of metals; if imported metals become harder to come by, metal recycling becomes even more important in order to keep American metal production growing to sufficiently supply metals to all the industries that depend on them.

The Price of Metal

Unsurprisingly, metal prices in the United States have increased since the tariffs took effect. Industries using imported metal now need to compensate for the tariff. Considering the majority of metal in our country was imported, domestically-produced metal is now more in demand. The higher metal prices are good for the U.S. metal industry in the short term, but it remains to be seen how the metals market will be affected as time goes on.

In the rest of the world, the prices of non-ferrous metals are dropping and the market seems to be suffering somewhat, especially in the area of copper and nickel. Even in the normally steady ferrous metals market, stainless steel prices have lowered but they still remain relatively stable.

Recycling Remains Important

More than ever, recycling scrap metal is crucial to keeping the United States metal industry well-supplied and booming. It is now more costly to import metal, and that cost trickles down to the products and services consumers pay for. Recycling metal is also more environmentally friendly than mining it. At Klein’s Recycling, we will recycle your scrap metal to help keep costs stable and the environment clean!

Top Reasons Why You Should Be Recycling Scrap Metal

Posted on by Klein Recycling

It’s true what they say: one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When we see scrap metal, we are more likely to think of it as junk rather than part of the multi-billion dollar industry that it is. But the lucrative, obscure world of recycling scrap metal has more benefits than you think.

How Much Scrap Metal Do We Really Have?

A lot. In the United States alone, about 150 million metric tons of scrap metal are produced every year. Think of automobiles, airplanes, appliances, phones, computers, and the many electrically powered products of our everyday lives. Some estimates indicate that the industry diverts more than 120 million tons of scrap metals from landfills every year, generating more than $90.6 billion in revenue.

Helping the Environment

It may sound obvious to say that recycling scrap metal is good for the environment, so let’s talk about some specific examples.

Extracting ore to produce metal is an extremely resource-intensive process. It requires large amounts of manpower and financial investment. It also releases far greater amounts of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere than the process of recycling metal. The process produces 97% less waste and uses 40% less water than mining and processing virgin ore.

Recycling scrap metal also allows us to preserve limited, naturally-occurring resources that have already been significantly depleted. For example, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute, recycling a ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone.

Finally, metal has the unique privilege of maintaining all of its properties despite repeated recycling. This means that, compared to the production of new metal, there are practically no reasons not to recycle scrap metal.

Boosting the Economy (And Your Own Wallet)

The U.S. scrap industry has nearly half a million employees and creates manifold more jobs than sending the same amount of metal to the incinerator or landfill. The United States also exports about $14.5 billion of scrap metal and their products per year, bringing in huge profits and boosting national GDP.

On a smaller scale, both large and small companies can also reap financial benefits from scrap recycling. They can not only purchase cheaper, recycled metal for manufacturing, but also sell their own scraps to third-party recycling companies like Klein Recycling, and raise their bottom line.

Whether you are a large corporation, small business owner, or a homeowner with scrap metal, don’t lose out on the benefits of scrap metal recycling. Reduce your carbon footprint and maximize your profits today!