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  One such place is around your house: that old grill, lawnmower or out of date lawn furniture all contain metal that can be scrapped for profit.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!

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.

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!

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!