/r/ScrapMetal
Copper, Brass, Aluminum, Steel, E-Scrap, Pot Metals and more. Ask questions, share your haul.
This is a community that revolves around the recycling of scrap metal as a source of income. Anybody can be environmentally friendly by recycling, and they can also make some money along the way.
If you have any interesting articles on recycling junk metals, prices, tips, questions etc., feel free to post about it here!
Rules:
- Be civil and constructive when making posts or comments. It's fine to be critical of what someone says but it's not acceptable to attack the person themselves. If you see posts or comments that are not civil or constructive please refrain from engaging and report them and let the mods deal with them.
- Politics is off topic here. This includes, but isn't limited to, promoting or trashing political parties or figures, blaming political figures for economic issues such as scrap prices, etc. Take that kind of stuff to /r/politics and related subs.
- No promoting the burning of cable to remove insulation from wire. This includes content that is direct (ex. "You should burn the cable to remove the insulation") as well as indirect (ex. "I've been burning cable for years, it's fine.").
- No self promotion, or asking for business. This is not Facebook or Craigslist; people here are from all over the world, likely not your area. Use those platforms for those kinds of things, please.
Scrappers Pro-Tips:
Always use Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)
- There are no excuses for not wearing safety equipment when scrapping. Whatever you're tearing open will not generate enough money to offset the cost of a visit to the doctor or ER if you need to go.
- Gloves should be the bare minimum of PPE worn whenever you're scrapping or performing scrapping related activities.
- Add eye protection and a respirator when you're breaking down materials, especially if you're using power tools and especially if you're cutting anything that generates particulate. (If you're using a respirator make sure it's rated for the materials you're working with.)
- Work boots may also be a good idea when you're tearing materials down but they're a GREAT idea when you're hopping into dumpsters looking for scrap.
- Make sure your tetanus shot is up to date and if it isn't (or if you're not sure one way or another) then call your doctors office and ask how to proceed. (This isn't strictly PPE but it fits well in the theme of this section.)
Do your research and proceed with caution
- Many commonly available items contain dangerous or even lethal materials. (The magnetron in a microwave for example contains ceramic made of beryllium oxide which is harmless in solid form but if broken can generate dust that can cause an incurable lung disease.) Researching items you're unfamiliar with before handling them is always a good idea!
- Many scrap items (especially appliances) that otherwise look clean or "just fine" may contain or be contaminated with chemicals, biohazards, rotten food, etc. Taking a few moments to assess an item before you pick it up or put your hand in it may be what saves you from a nasty cut, a chemical burn or being bitten or stung.
- Know your state and local laws regarding scrapping and related activities including but not limited to dumpster diving, trespassing, etc. Never assume that because it was legal in one state that it's legal in another.
Maximize your profits
- The prices at scrapyards, even those that are only miles apart, can vary significantly and may fluctuate daily. Call the yards closest to you for their pricing on the specific material(s) you intend to scrap.
- Prices can fluctuate wildly from day to day depending on the economy, world events, etc. Never assume that the price a yard paid you last week or even yesterday will be the same price they pay you today.
- Selling an item can sometimes be more profitable than scrapping it. Something that may be worth $5-10 in scrap value could be worth much more when sold to an individual, a business, etc. Do some research on Facebook, Craigslist, eBay, etc. to see if you can sell a working item before you take it apart.
- Transportation costs should always be factored into your decisions. Don't spend $5-10 in gas to go pick up an item that you can only make $5-10 on.
Magnets - Don't go scrapping without one
- What could look like regular old steel could be stainless steel, aluminum, or coated brass. These fetch a much higher price per pound. Learn the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Do you have e-waste you want to get rid of? Boardsort and CashForComputerScrap are both popular sites for selling e-waste.
Related Subreddits:
/r/ScrapMetal
58,373 Subscribers
confused with what metal is in wires I have come across, any help?
I.e. OLD space heater, the wire looks like silver, while an old desktop keyboard also seems to have 2 thin silver wires.
what's going on here? any resource that explains what metals are in cords?
help would be appreciated and a link would be great!
06:00 UTC
Is this true looked up where copper is used most and a average home has 439lbs in it
This seems unreal I used to do renovations but never thought this much would be in a home plus my brother owns a excavation company tore down a few houses but never ended up with that number more like 80-150lbs but maybe o missed some I always went in before the tear down. Anyone ever get this much out of a house???
05:11 UTC
Trying to prep for a run to scrap yard
Trying to sort out all my years of saved alum into groups as to speed the process up at the yard.
Let me know if I'm getting this right, I have 5 "groups" Should there be more or are some overlap?
Alum Wire
Alum Cans
Alum siding gutter sheet
Alum Cast
Alum Extrusion
23:13 UTC
Ultra Pure Copper Powder for sale
Hello Community,
I am the exclusive representative of a European Group marketing limited quantity ultra pure copper powder, with a level of 99.9996% purity.
I live and work in Florida, contact me for more information.
Thanks,
EML
16:50 UTC
Anyone have any ideas?
Google images and a web search don’t turn up much. Weighs about 5-7lbs. Haven’t weighed it cause I just dug it up/found it.
15:29 UTC
954 aluminum bronze
I have about 300lbs of mixed clean shavings from mill and lathe with some 954 bronze plates and round stock cuts. It's pretty difficult to find the proce of that online I'm curious what you guys would think
12:01 UTC
is this worth buying and then scrapping once the battery dies. has 300k miles and listed for 2500 btw are all hybrids worth more in scrap due to cleaner exhausts etc
09:37 UTC
Got about 538 bucks of stuff liquidated.
All figures are in rupees, exchange was about 82 rupees to a dollar when I liquidated it.
160 kg iron pipes(40/kg)- 6400 33kg brass(400/kg)- 13200 Inveter, 2 batteries, a copper wound fan from 90's, a 1 hp motor and some more stuff(Lumpsum) 14000 An old airconditioner 5400 A voltage stabilizer 4180 1kg copper(500/kg) for 500
Transport gas and all is approximately 100 rupees. Total = 44180 rupees All this stuff because a lot of capex was done all old pipes changed and all that stuff According to chat gpt, purchasing power parity of this is about 1929 dollars in usa. Yipppeeeee!
08:31 UTC
Cheap faucet break down
Dunno what the housing is cast from; my instinct is that it can't be aluminum from how cheap and crappy it is? Also, best way to remove plastic valves from the brass? Just burn it out with a torch? Thanks in advance y'all have been my saviors 💕
04:52 UTC
Noob questions
is wire with a red tint still considered bare bright?
other question. is it always worth getting wire out of small motors? is sometimes better to turn in as is?
and last question, what is the difference between #1 and #2 insulated wire? ive brought in the same kind of wire on 2 dif days, and have gotten #1 and #2 for the same stuff
00:55 UTC
This is just a complaint that aftermarket cats aren't worth shit.
I got more from the 800 pounds of steel car parts than I did for one catalytic converter. 🤷🏻♂️ No biggie though, it's still greater than zero.
22:57 UTC
Does this have asbestos
Old nob and tube. The one that appears to have shimmer flakes in it.. anyone know if it contains asbestos?
21:26 UTC
Anybody familiar with these? Are they worth taking apart?
Water furnace heat exchangers.
18:15 UTC
How low can steel get ?
Light iron is down to $4.50cw at my yard, I remember the lowest I ever saw was $3.00cw. I know there's a little uncertainty in the markets due to politics both globally and domestically and prices often drop in winter, it just feels depressing to know I'm pretty much wasting collecting and processing any ferrous (which is the vast majority of what I collect)
18:09 UTC
How much?
13:04 UTC
Need Reliable Wholesale Aluminum Scrap Vendors for Large Volume Imports
Hi everyone,
We’re an importing and manufacturing company based in India, actively seeking reliable vendors who can supply aluminum scrap like troma, tense, talon, etc in large volumes. We’re looking for professional suppliers who are responsive and experienced in handling bulk orders for international clients.
So far, we’ve reached out to companies like Gemini Corporation NV, SIMS Recycling Solutions, and European Metal Recycling, but haven’t received much response. We’re keen to explore other trustworthy and active vendors who can meet our requirements.
If you know of any suppliers or have worked with a dependable vendor, please share their details. Your recommendations will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for your help!
13:01 UTC
Anything worth anything here? Any precious metals worth taking, if any? Or just put it back where I got it from? Batteries were already out. I’m new to this and would appreciate all the input I can get. I like to know a little bit of everything no matter what it is. Please and thanks. It’s Apc UPS
12:44 UTC
Window ac unit scrapping
Does anyone know roughly how much a window ac unit would scrap for? I have 3, and i am wondering weather it is better to take them apart or take them in as a whole? None of them work and I'm pretty sure they are all empty. Thank you.
04:28 UTC
Flatware Scrap identification
Just 3000lbs of flatware (knives and forks) from an export business who went bankrupt. I run a business with no physical shop, only a big warehouse. the option of selling them by the piece is a not possible. What would you do with that to earn max profit? I posted on marketplace and got no reply within 3 months and wold nothing. Do you know exactly what grade of STEEL it is? Everything is magnetic. Is it a lower grade of SS?
02:28 UTC
lead coated 500 mcm better to strip?
hey guys, so i have about 200-300 lbs of lead coated 500 mcm scrap, it is almost exactly twice the weight of regular 500 mcm scrap, im wondering what price i should get for it unstripped. if its twice the weight and id get ~$2/lb it seems like it’d be worse to strip it down, and lose half the weight just to get ~$3.30/lb for bare bright.
“iscrap says it’s worth $2.97
or am i missing something 😂
02:18 UTC