How To Recycle Metal And Metal Products

Remember when we used to shake our heads at the guy with the shopping cart full of aluminum cans? Seems to me that he has been one step ahead of the rest of us. Scrap metal has become a business that is continually growing. It makes a good hobby and great money for saving. If you want to learn how to effectively earn money from recycling scrap metal, read on.

1. There are a few tools of the trade that you have to have. You will need bags, a pick up tool, gloves and a truck or car. You also need the address of a reclamation center. One more thing a storage and sorting facility.

2. This is one of the most important things you will need and that is knowledge. All metal has some value. Some of it pays better than others but you need to know that if you collect enough of it, it will earn you a pretty penny.

3. There are plenty of places to find recyclable metal. If you live in an apartment complex the Dumpster is the first obvious place to look. Soda and beer cans are made of aluminum and that is the number one most recycled metal in the US. Tin, copper, and other metals all have value. When collecting metals collect them all, separate them by type and keep collecting until you have a sufficient amount of weight to earn some real money.

4. There are some times of the day and week that it will be better for you to embark on your scouting missions. This means you need to schedule it into your day, week or month. At first collect for a couple months, this is so you learn the hot spots and the ins and outs of recycling. Do not expect that a lot of people that you meet at the recycling center will be willing to give you their secret spots. It is almost like staking a claim out there. And claim jumping can get ugly.

5. To find a reclamation center all you need is the Internet or a local phone book. There are some dealers who will take chromium and tungsten, but the chances of finding enough of this to sell is very slim.

Recycling can make you a great deal of cash, help keep the metals from clogging up the landfills and give you an interesting hobby. Some people do it for a living. They actually make enough in their efforts to buy cars and homes. You can get in on the action, if the economy doesn't turn around we may all be at the reclamation centers.


------

Jonathan Steele is the world's number one expert on metal deck and steel decking related topics.