If you happen to stumble across this blog post, chances are you looking for the nearest scrap yards near you? If that is correct, you are in the right place. Starting a scrap yard business has grown popular over the years and has shown to be a profitable side hustle for many people.
I recently researched and found many scrap yards near me, and to my surprise, many people make extra money by selling old scraps that they have lying around their house. I am no stranger to selling stuff to make more money, so I was excited to dive in to find more information about this profitable side hustle.
So, if you are looking to make extra money, this side gig might be a great one to look into this month. Read the post below to find out more information about the nearest scrap yards near you and how you can make the most profit with the scrap metals you already have.
Table of Contents
How To Find A Scrap Yard Near Me?
If you are currently looking for the closest scrap yard near you, the tool below will be very helpful in getting started. Simply click on the zip code button below to find the closest scrap yards near you right now via Google Maps. Scrap Yard Near Me Locator
Additionally, you can click on the Google map below to find the nearest scrap yards near you. When you get to the map simply put in your zip code to find the closest ones to you.
What Are The Current Scrap Yard Prices?
If you are currently looking for the most updated scrap yard prices, check out the official Iscrapp App website. Click here to check out the most recent scrap yard prices.
What Is Scrap Metal?
When you hear the term scrap metal, it refers to recyclable material that may be leftover from previous consumption. Examples of scrap metals are parts from computers, vehicles, appliances, and equipment.
How Can I Get The Most Money For Scrap?
One of the biggest tips to get the most money from scraps is to organize and separate your items according to the type of metal. For example, put all your copper pieces together in one bin and then put all your aluminum pieces together in another bin.
Additionally, if you are looking to get the most money for scraps, look to find Copper, Aluminum, and Brass metal, as those are some of the most profitable ones.
What Are Scrap Yards and How Do They Work?
Usually, when you go to a scrap yard, you will see a lot of trucks carrying containers to companies and people sorting through the different types of metals.
At a scrap yard, they collect waste metals that can be converted into scraps that can be reused.
How Do They Work? – Scrap Yard Near Me
When you go to a scrap yard, you will put your material on a scale, and an attendant will weigh them. Once the material is done being weighed it will be put into a system, and then you will find out how much you will get paid for your scraps.
After that, you will be given a receipt that will allow you to either get cash from the scrap yard ATM or a check will be sent in the mail to you. This will vary depending on your state laws and the location. Call your local scrap yard to see how they send payments.
To find out more about how scrap yards work, check out the video below.
What Type of Metal Can You Sell At A Scrap Yard?
At a scrap yard, you can sell both ferrous and non-ferrous metal. Ferrous metal contains iron, while non-ferrous metal does not. Additionally, most ferrous metals are magnetic, making them great for electrical appliances and motors. Non-ferrous is not magnetic, which can be helpful for wiring applications.
Examples of Ferrous metal are steel, cast iron, and wrought iron. Examples of non-ferrous are aluminum, copper, zinc, Gold, Silver, and lead.
What Are The Common Metals People Bring To A Scrap Yard?
Some of the most common metals that people bring into a scrap yard are listed below:
- Electric Motors
- Electronic Ballasts ( This type of metal will come out of things such as LSD lights)
- ACR (This type of metal comes from air condition units and refrigerators)
To find other common metals people bring into scrap yards, click here to see a video by iScrapApp.
How To Make Money with Scrap Metal?
1. Sort and Separate Your Scrap Items
One of the first things to help receive the most money for your scrap metals is sorting and separating your items.
If your items aren’t separated most of the time, the scrap yard will count them at a lower price. For example, if you have a metal such as aluminum, lead, or copper, make sure to separate them to maximize your profit. To learn more about sorting and separating your scrap metal, click here.
2. Find The Nearest Scrap Yard Location To Sell
When you find the nearest scrap location near you, give them a call to see how everything is set up and how things work at their location.
Here are some questions that you can ask them when you call:
- What type of metal can you bring in to sell?
- What are their current scrap yard prices?
- How do they offer payment? Check? ATM at their location?
3. Get Knowledgeable About The Different Metals
If you are starting your journey, conduct research to learn about the different types of metals. Typically they are two types of metals that scrap yards look for to purchase.
These types of metals are Ferrous and non-ferrous. Remember, Ferrous are magnetic metals while non-ferrous are not magnetic. Scrap yard like to separate ferrous and non-ferrous in groups when sorting.
4. Find Free Scrap Metals
You can find free scrap metals in your town from people giving away free items on Facebook Marketplace or Craiglist. This is a great way to grab something that someone else doesn’t want anymore and prepare it to take to a local scrap yard.
5. Find Out How Much Money You Can Get For Your Scrap Metals
Before heading into the scrap yard, give them a call to talk about the current prices for metals at their location. Make sure to go to the scrap yard that will pay you the most for your scrap metals. Keep in mind the location’s distance to make sure it will be worth the trip.
What Type Of Metal Can You Take To A Scrap Yard?
Let’s cover some ferrous metals and some that are non-ferrous. You might even have some of these metals in your home.
-
Aluminum ( Non-ferrous)
Aluminum is often a silvery or white type of metal. A remarkable fact is on earth; aluminum is the most widespread. When looking for this type of metal, you can find it in pop cans, door frames, windows, and car rims. Aluminum is very durable and also three times lighters than iron.
-
Copper (Non-ferrous)
Copper is a pinkish-orange color type of metal. Copper is often found in electronic items such as motors and wiring around your house.
Copper is the most profitable form of metal to recycle at a scrap yard, which means you will get the most money for this type of metal. Make sure to separate this metal from any other metals before heading into the scrap yard.
-
Steel (Ferrous)
Steel is one of the most important constructions and engineering metals. The steel metal is a silverish color and is often found in washing machines, refrigerators, and cars. In addition, its magnetic properties make the steel metal very easy to recover from waste to be recycled.
-
Brass (Non-ferrous)
This metal is made when you combine copper and zinc. This metal looks very similar to gold because of its yellowish color. You can find the metal in doorknobs, cookware, kitchen supplies, and HVAC material such as air conditioning systems.
-
Cast Iron (Ferrous)
Cast Irons are pots and pans which can be found in most homes. This dense metal heats very slowly compared to metal such as copper.
What Scrap Metal Items Can I Sell At A Scrap Yard Near Me?
Some of the most profitable items to turn into a scrap yard are:
- Cooper (house doors, cans such as pop cans, and frames from windows)
- Aluminum (Pipes, cookware, car parts, and bike frames)
- Brass (locks, bells, horns, cookware, doorknobs)
- Stainless Steel (microwaves, car parts, and refrigerator parts)
- Computer parts (hard drives
- Used appliances (Stoves and refrigerators)
Tips To Get More Cash For Your Scrap Metals
1. Organize & Clean Off Your Metals
Make sure to clean off your metal before taking it in and separate them into groups.
For example, put the copper metals in a separate box and then put your Aluminum metals in another box. This will help you make more money for your scrap metals.
The reason for this is that when you put a higher value metal with a less value metal, it will go unnoticed. So, make sure to put metal such as copper and aluminum in separate boxes to help them stand out from the rest.
Additionally, clean off your metals because you can make more money if your metals don’t have a lot of residue on them.
2. Know What Type of Metals You Have
To help you maximize the amount, you will get for your scrap metals, make sure you know what type of metals you have and the price it is going for.
To find out the latest prices metals are going for, check out the iScrap App website.
3. Find Your Non-Ferrous Metals
Ferrous metals tend to have lower prices, while non-ferrous metals have higher prices. So if you are looking to maximize how much you can receive in payment, try and find non-ferrous metals around your house. Remember, non-ferrous metals are copper, zinc, aluminum, and brass metals.
What Factors Can Affect How Much I Can Earn?
1. The Quality and Quantity Of The Metals Matter
Most times, you will get a lower price if your scrap metals have residue on them, so make sure to clean them off as best as possible.
Another factor is the number of scrap metals you take to the scrap yard. The more scraps you take in, the more money you can potentially take home.
Remember, you can also negotiate more when you have many metals that are aluminum or copper. Also, make sure to put your metal in different boxes. This will help speed up the process and help you potentially get more money.
FAQ
What Appliances Have Copper In Them?
There are a lot of appliances that have copper in them. Here is a quick list of appliances that have copper in them.
- Air Conditioners
- Refrigerators
- Stoves
- Coffee Makers
- Toasters
Does A Refrigerator Have Copper In It?
Yes, refrigerators have copper in them. Therefore, when you dismantle a fridge, there should be a good amount of copper within it.
How Do I Get Paid For My Scrap Metal?
If you want to get paid for your scrap metals, locate some scrap yards in your town. Click here to see the nearest scrap yards near you using the Google zip code locator.
After you have a list of scrap yards in your area, start collecting metals already in your home. Make sure to separate your metals into different containers or boxes. For example, put copper metals in one box and brass metals in another.
Pro Tip: Call the scrap yard locations in your area to get more information, such as their current prices for each piece of metal and how their payment system works.
What Is The Best Thing To Scrap For Money?
If you are looking for the best metal to scrap for money, go with Copper because it has a high value when it comes to scraping.
Additionally, aluminum is another very profitable metal to scrap if you want to make a more significant profit. Usually, these metals will get you the most money when scraping. Is Steel Currently Worth Any Money?
According to the iScrap App, steel is currently worth $240.00/ton. To find out more information about how much steel is worth, check out the officially iScrap pricing website by clicking here.
Final Thoughts On Scrap Near Me
If you are looking for a side hustle to make extra money, this is a good one to consider if you have a lot of different appliances and items in your house that you don’t want anymore.
Here are some key takeaways from this article.
- Conduct research to learn about the different metals that scrap yards take for payment.
- Find the nearest scrap yard location near you with a zip code locator. Click here to use the Google zip code locator to locate the nearest ones.
- Call a few scrap yards in your areas to find the current scrap metal prices. Depending on the location, some might have higher prices which could mean more profit for you.
- Separate your metal into groups and organize them. For example, put copper metals in one bin and then the brass metal into another bin. This method has been shown to result in a higher profit.
Have you ever made a profit from scrap metals? If so, tell us about your experience below.
Additional Resources
- IScrap App
- How To Find Scrap Prices Online
- Scrap Secret: Rule For Sorting Copper
- How To Make The Most Money From Scrap Met
Thank you for this informations!
Thank you soooo much. 🙂