Scrap Metal Yards are places that accept used metal for recycling purposes. Smaller yards ship their materials to larger scrap metal facilities where metal gets melted down and made into new products. In this article, I will discuss how the scrap metal yard near me operates as well as help you determine what type of metals they accept while providing the facilities. First, let‘s find your local scrap metal center…
Find a Scrap Metal Yard Near Me
for “Scrap Metal Yard Near Me”, “Scrap Metal Center Near Me”, or “Where to Sell Scrap Metal”, see the map below…
Operations of Scrap Metal Yards
Have you ever wondered how the scrap metal yard near me works or wondered where to sell scrap metal? I will discuss the basics of how the scrap metal yards near me operate and show you they are different from junk yards or local recycling centers. But first…
These yards are frequented by people who work with metal such as electricians, plumbers, construction companies, contractors, demolition businesses, and sometimes homeowners Scrap metal yards aren’t just for wrecked metal, many of them can take appliances, wires, pipes, and any kind of material that contains metal.
For example, if you are doing a home kitchen renovation project you can off items like a stainless steel fridge, sink, oven, and/or dishwasher.
Here is a list of common metal types most scrap metal plants will accept:
They generally take all kinds of metals, but they fall into three common categories: ferrous, non-ferrous, and electronics or “e-scrap”.
Ferrous Metals: These are your steel, cast iron, and iron. If it sticks to a magnet then it is a ferrous metal. These are considered low prices in market value.
Non-Ferrous Metals: These are your copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, and bronze. These are mostly non–magnetic and are considered to have a higher market value.
E-Scrap Metals: These are found inside electronics and may contain precious metals like silver, gold, and platinum. These materials can be found in hard drives, power supplies, and circuit boards.
Will They Pick Up Your Scrap Metal?…
In most cases no, you need to haul your own scrap to the facility. You can call and try to work something out but more than likely you will haul it yourself.
If you can’t transfer the materials yourself there may be another option. Some junk yard and recycling businesses will pick up small amounts of metal scrap from you. They won’t pay you for it, but they will pick it up if you leave it out on the curb.
These businesses, referred to as “scrappers” have someone who drives through neighborhoods in a truck seeking scrap metal. These scrappers are different than garbage pickup as they often take things garbage won’t collect. Also, the scrappers are going to take your scrap and sell it for cash to a local scrap metal yard.
Of course, you don’t need to let the scrappers have all the fun. If you have the ability to haul the load yourself you can sell scrap metal and make a nice profit depending on certain factors. Next, we will discuss how to sell scrap metal.
How Do Scrap Metal Centers Work
Sell Scrap Metal Near Me – Where to Sell Metal Scrap
If you want to sell scrap metal near me the key is weight and metal type, The more you have and the heavier it is, the more cash you can get. Scrap metal yards near me purchase metals from private industry, governments, and contractors to re–melted and reproduced into new material materials.
The price you can fetch for your scraps depends on the weight as well as the current market price (stock value). As I mentioned earlier ferrous metals will bring in the lowest value, non-ferrous a high market value, and E-scraps can bring in the most although it‘s hard to have them in large quantities.
Here is a good price chart for the current market value of commonly traded metals.
To find out where to sell scrap metal near me you will have to look in urban and suburban areas. This is because the scrap metal recycling business thrives off the trade industry.
The more population an area has the more it requires contractors, construction, and demolition. Major cities are hot beds for scrap yards, some even have more than 20 scrap yards.
The easiest way to find where to sell scrap metal near me is to look in industrial locations kind of off the road or near shipping ports. Having a facility that can be accessed more easily by trucks, trains, or boats, is ideal. These are large plants that require a lot of space to house inventory and machinery.
How Often Can You Sell Scrap Metal Near Me?
If you have enough you can sell scrap metal every day, they will be happy to purchase from you. If you have a construction or demolition company you might even be able to arrange for a special container to be placed at your job site, Then you can have the facility pick up the recycling from you.
This will allow you to arrange a haul–away schedule depending on how fast you can fill the container with material.
Spring and Summer are typically the busiest times of the year in the industry as it coincides with the construction and demolition industry. In addition, this is also when homeowners take on renovation projects.
Can I Scrap My Car For Cash?
The scrap metal center near me does not take cars, trucks, boats, or RV’s. What they ask you to do is use your local auto salvage yard for that. The truth is, it‘s better for you to use an auto salvo anyway because you will likely get a higher value for your car even if it doesn’t run.
Also, an auto salvage yard may be willing to tow your car for you, whereas a scrap metal recycling place will not pick it up. Most people who want to ask can you scrap my car often have a car that doesn’t run.
How is a Scrap Metal Center Different From a Dump or Recycling Center?
Scrap metal Center
The recycling scrap metal near me differs from the junk yards, recycling centers, and dumps. First, is that they need to weigh your items before determining how much they can pay you for them. Next, they separate your materials weigh them again, and come up with a price based on the type of metals and the amount you have.
The price of the material is determined by the current trading value on the stock market. Some additional metrics vary from company to company and State to State.
Scrap metal places often won’t pick up metals in small quantities, because it is not worth the haul away effort for the amount of metal. This is often the case for homeowners. Essentially for it to be worth it they would need a few hundred pounds of metal to arrange a pick up.
At a dumps, you often have to pay to drop items off by weight and many dumps have a local scheduled pickup.
At a junkyard like an auto salvage yard, they will pay you for your junked car which has nothing to do with the type of metal or weight. When an auto salvage yard feels they can’t sell used parts from a car they will sell what is left over to a metal scrap yard for cash.
Junk yards will also arrange a pickup in some circumstances depending on the value of what you are selling.
Dump or Recycling Center
The recycling center is well-organized, categorizing items for efficient disposal. Pans, pots, and aluminum cans are grouped for recycling, while pans propane gas tanks, and paint cans pots, classified as non-recyclable metals, are isolated for special treatment. The process of recycling scrap metal is a crucial practice in the metal recycling industry.
It helps reduce waste and conserve valuable resources. Scrap metal recyclers play a vital role in this process by collecting, sorting, and processing metal waste.
They ensure that metal scrap is properly recycled and repurposed. Additionally, scrap metal buyers play a significant role by purchasing recycled materials, providing an economic incentive for recycling efforts.
Nonferrous metal, aluminum, copper, and brass, are particularly valuable in the recycling industry due to their high demand and recycling potential. By promoting the recycling of metal waste, we can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.
Basically, scrap metal recycling centers do recycle metal, but not in the quantity of a scrap metal facility. As a matter of fact, many recycling centers ship their scrap to a specialized metal yard for recycling.
Scrap Metal Yard Near Me Conclusion
So that is the basics of how the scrap metal recycling yard near me works and most faculties. Depending on how much stuff you have and what metal type it is will determine if a scrap metal yard will be willing to arrange a pickup.
For many of us, you will have to drop off your items directly at the facility. If you are looking for where to sell scrap metal consult the map above on this post.
My best advice in any circumstance is to call ahead and ensure they have a local drop–off point and they are willing to take your material.
There may be a little bit of negotiating you could do over price, but in my experience with the scrap yard near me, it‘s always been fixed. You can ask them as well if they can scrap your car in the event you don’t have auto salvage yard options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Scrap Yards Buy Metal?
Yes. Scrap metal recycling yards are companies that buy metal. You can take your scrap metal and sell it to a scrap yard and they pay you the current rate for your type of metal based on how much you have of it (weight). Scrap metal yards then take your metal and sell it to a refinery that only buys in bulk.
What is the Highest Paying Scrap Metal to Collect?
Cooper is the biggest return on your investment for the time you take collecting it. Copper has a consistently high value between $2 and $4/pound. You can look for copper wiring, copper tubing, and copper scrap.
How Much Money Can You Make Selling Scrap Metal?
Prices change daily based on supply and demand and also vary by state. For reference though the scrap metal yard near me pays $200 per ton (2000 pounds) for ferrous metals. If you do the math that equates to $10 for 100 pounds.
James is an avid junkyarder and mechanic. He has visited Junkyards in every US state and has restored over 30 makes and models of vehicles. He has several automotive and recycling related blogs that generate over 150K views a month.
