As the famous adage goes, there’s cash in the trash. It is common to see people make money by recycling and selling scrap metal. Many lucky people treated it as a side hustle, giving them instant cash. The thing is, there are smart ways to turn these metals into money. But, of course, you must know the types of metal to look for and sell. This article will provide tips to earn from scrap metal.
Prepare the Materials and Equipment
Before finding your treasure, you have to carry these items with you:
Magnets
Magnets are handy and vital tools for metal scrappers and recyclers. Even a tiny piece of magnet can help you find a metal. These will be used to determine which are ferrous and non-ferrous metals. A metal is ferrous if the magnet attracts it.
Containers
Of course, you aim to get kilos or even tons of scrap metal. You need a container where you can place everything you collected. A bucket, a barrel, or even an Elf truck will do.
Familiarity With Different Metal Types
Not all types of metal can give you cash. Knowing metals that are ferrous or non-ferrous is not enough. You have to know which scrap metal of each type can be sold in the junk or recycling shops.
Go to Potential Places With Scrap Metal
In recent years, Canada has been considered one of the top scrap metal exporters, particularly aluminum. So if you’re living in the country, you do not have to put much effort into looking for scrap metal. But you have to find more specific locations where you can start doing your scrap metal hunting.
If you are working on a construction site, then you are lucky. You may get unwanted cables or wires that contain large amounts of copper. Some companies have very little time to recycle the wires. So you may do it yourself and earn instant money. For higher payment, you must remove the plastic or rubber coating of the wire.
If you work in the canning industry or a restaurant, you may find used cans. Canada has plenty of aluminum, so you can easily find aluminum cans. Soft drinks and sardines are often contained in aluminum or aluminum alloy cans. These are so common that you can even find them in trash bins and on the roadside.
But, if you don’t have access to any of these, you may consider scrapping your old appliances and unwanted metals in your house. Ovens, refrigerators, and washing machines are some examples.
Find, Collect, and Sort Them Out
You may start finding and collecting metals whether they stick to your magnet. However, the most crucial task is that you should sort them out between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Most people think that scrapping metals will not give instant money. That’s where they’re wrong.
Often, they place all kinds of metals in a single bucket or barrel and bring them to a scrapyard. As a result, they get the lowest amount, and the buyer earns a lot. You have to put much effort into increasing your familiarity with each metal type and sorting them out accordingly. Typical ferrous metals are industrial steel and appliances. Popular non-ferrous metals include aluminum, lead, brass, stainless steel, and copper. Aluminum, nickel, tin, zinc, and copper will give you more money.
Store Them Safely and Be Patient
Store scrap metal in your storage room or containers away from the public. You don’t want to waste your time and effort by just letting others steal them. Be patient when collecting and storing them because that will also tell the capacity to earn more. For example, copper is very light, so you need more time before selling it.
Find Reliable Scrap Metal Businesses
You have to look for reliable scrap metal buyers before selling them. This ensures that you will get the money you deserve. For example, if you’re living in Toronto, you have to look for reliable scrap yards in Toronto that buy and recycle scrap metal. Also, you have to be familiar with the average price of each metal for better transactions.
Key Takeaways
Scrapping metals takes a lot of time, energy, and effort. But it will pay off more than you expected. You have to be resourceful and patient because these traits will dictate your ability to make money. That is why it’s a good thing Canada has abundant metals.
