Four Types of Scrap Metal

If you’re in the scrap metal business then you know how important it is to find and pick up unwanted items. This includes all different kinds of material including aluminum, copper, brass, steel, iron, fiberglass, plastic and wood. As the market for recycled materials continues to grow, you too will be looking for new ways to turn scraps into cash. There are many different opportunities. One is by collecting a group of pieces and selling them individually at a yard sale.

Scrap metal refers to any material left over from the production and consumption of products, including scrap metal from auto repair shops, office buildings, shipping yards, and hardware stores. Unlike scrap paper which is recyclable, scrap metals are not usually melted down and sold as paper. Instead they are sold by weight. Scrap metal buyers range from individual collectors to large metal recyclers who buy entire businesses’ worth of unwanted materials. For small items like a spoon or a screw, you can look around your home for interesting items and put up a yard sale to turn a few dollars into big money.

The most important thing to keep in mind when buying scrap metal is that it must be usable in order to make money. There are three main categories of scrap metal: non-ferrous metals like iron, brass, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum, along with non-ferrous and ferrous metals like zinc, tin, lead, aluminum, tinplate, iron ore, magnesium, tin, and steel. Recycled copper is a popular metal in this category because it’s so easy to weld and is still used widely in industry. You’ll also find copper plumbing, electrical wire, water heaters, and other copper items at garage sales and thrift stores.

The second most popular type of scrap metal is copper, which is everywhere and usually inexpensive to buy. If you’re looking for copper pipes or other items, ask the people at your local hardware store or recycling center for price quotes. Cast iron can be burned into bars and then turned into pipes, but the process isn’t as easy as simply welding pipes together. You need advanced welding skills and a lot of equipment to even attempt it, and the work will be far more expensive. Most of the copper scrap you’ll find at home will either be recycled into wire or sold as wire.

The third most common type of scrap metal is aluminum, which is surprisingly hard to find in its original condition. However, it’s relatively easy to weld aluminum and use the resulting material for home improvement projects and plumbing, among other things. Recycled aluminum cans and plates are an especially popular choice, since they’re light, cheap, and recyclable. In addition, aluminum cans can be used to build air fresheners in your garage, helping reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in the landfill.

The final most common form of scrap metal is steel, although this is the most difficult to find and cheaper to buy. Steel scrap can be found in a number of different places, including scrap yards and metal recycling centers, although the easiest way to get a good deal on steel is to go to an auction or salvage yard. Steel scrap is particularly easy to sell because the price is always very low, compared to the other metals listed above. If you have some scrap from your home that needs to be sold, it’s worth visiting an auction or salvage yard in your area to see what you can come up with.