There are few places in life more charmingly apocalyptic than the modern-day scrap yard. Servicing businesses large and small, as well as everyday folks trying to recycle, scrap yards are the beginning link in the metal recycling chain. The seemingly chaotic buzzing of workers, forklifts, dump trucks and patrons is actually  the sound of a century old industry raking in $80 billion annual revenues in the US alone.

Welcome to ScrapMetalJunkie.com! If you are looking for tips and tricks for making money by selling scrap metal, please read the free, online Scrappers Handbook!

What is a Waste Stream?

No matter what industry you work in, there is always some type of waste material, or material that is leftover after a process or operation. At the end of the day, you may be left with several different types of waste materials. This is called a waste stream.

Every person and every company has a waste stream. Some of the waste materials are non-recyclable, like food waste, pollution, or bio-hazardous waste. On the other hand, most of the waste stream is recyclable! Anything from corrugated paper, plastic bottles, and of course scrap metal, are all highly recyclable waste materials. It is much easier to grind old paper than to cut down a tree, and it is much easier to melt an old aluminum can that to mine and refine bauxite; that is why scrap yards exist.

What are Scrap Yards for?

The purpose of a scrap yard is to buy scrap metal (and sometimes other waste materials) at competitive prices so value can be pulled out of a waste stream. The scrap yard will buy the material by the pound — or by the ton — and will pay you depending on what type of material you are selling. Most trips to the scrap yard involve selling more than one type of scrap metal.

A scrap yard, essentially, is a waste material broker. Their main reason for existing is to correctly and reliably funnel different types of materials to different refiners. They buy scrap metals in small quantities, gather large amounts in a scrap heap, and then sell it all for more money to refineries. (Refineries will only buy large volumes of scrap metal by contract from a well-established supplier.)

The strange part about scrap yards is, although they may call you a customer to your face, you are actually their supplier! Their real customers are the refineries that they sell to, and they will do whatever is necessary to keep their customers happy. (So, just keep that in mind.)

What is Scrap Metal?

Scrap metal refers to any number of metal waste materials, and is often the result of industrial, construction, demolition or repair processes involving metal or metal products. Some simple examples of scrap metal categories are dirty aluminum, #1 copper, or cast zinc, while some more complicated examples would be electric motors/transformers,  HMS #1, or Zorba.

A scrap yard is very interested in buying the many common types of scrap metals found in waste streams today. Old copper wire, broken appliances, and scrap automobiles all get bought for different prices at the scrap yard. You’ll notice that they do not contain entirely metal.

Scrap metal waste streams may contain plastics, wood, styrofoam etc and can still be sold to a scrap yard. Cars, refrigerators, and computers are all examples of things sold at a scrap yard despite having small to medium amounts of contamination.

Scrap metal recycling is the most profitable form of recycling, and, for this reason, is sometimes overlooked in discussions on the matter of recycling and waste stream management. If your office takes the time to recycle paper or cardboard, it needs to recycle old computers, broken tools, or aluminum cans too.

How to Sell Scrap Metal:

The process for selling scrap metal is straight forward, but it’s best to go to the scrap yard knowing as much as possible.

1. Sort Your Metal: This is done before you get to the scrap yard. Look over the different categories of scrap metal and channel your scrap into corresponding buckets and containers.  Nobody at the scrap yard, including the employees, will want to show you any mercy if your material isn’t sorted correctly. They will simply pay you the price of the cheapest material you left unsorted. Everybody sees not sorting your materials as a huge waste of their time, including the people waiting in line behind you!
2. Drive to The Scrap Yard w/ your ID: This is most easily done with a truck or trailer. Make sure you have everything strapped down and secured or you will get ticketed (or worse)! The scrap yard needs your ID to verify your age, track what you sell, and to check your name against the state police’s “blacklist” of metal thieves.
3. Unload your Scrap Metal: Keeping things as organized as possible, you will unload your scrap metal by whatever process the scrap yard chooses. Almost all scrap yards will have a truck scale to weigh your vehicle and a small scale for weighing buckets, pallets, or small containers. If it is your first time at a particular scrap yard, talk to an employee before unloading anything.
4. Ask questions: This is pretty simple; but, if not done tactfully, it may cause you more harm than good. It’s ok that you don’t know something, but avoid seeming helpless. It is a balancing act of not seeming naïve, but still asking as many questions as possible. Research Scrap Metal as much as you can before departing for the scrap yard.
5. Get weighed: Your scrap metals will all get weighed one-at-a-time, category by category. You will then be given a paper slip which you cash out at the nearby pay window.
6. Get Paid: You get paid more for having more metal. You get paid more for having the expensive metal. And you get paid most when you have more of the expensive metal.
7. Be Friendly: Treat others as you would like to be treated; Remember, you are not the scrap yard’s customer; you are their supplier!

Where is the Nearest Scrap Yard?

The nearest scrap yard is most likely within a 10-30 minutes drive from where ever you are now. If you live near or inside of a large city, chances are you are just around the corner from a scrap yard and you don’t even know it. (Just check Google Maps by searching “Scrap Yard”) 

Industrial areas will always have more scrap yards than rural areas. This is because industrial areas tend to have larger and more consistent waste streams that are rich in scrap metal, so they need bigger and better scrap yards.

(It’s noted that not everybody will have easy access to a scrap yard. Alaska and Hawaii, comparatively speaking, have only a few scrap yards.)

How To Choose a Scrap Yard:

If you plan on selling scrap metal for any extended period of time, it is critical that you consider all possible scrap yards or you may get taken advantage of. If you plan on selling scrap metal only a few times a year, you should use an abridged version of this process:

1. Build A Scrap Yard List: (drive time < 40 minutes) This is done in a notepad, cell phone, or my personal favorite, a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel. Start with whatever search method you prefer: Google, YellowPages, phonebooks, referrals from friends, etc.
2. Call Each Scrap Yard: This may not be the most pleasant experience. Scrap yards are worked by some characters that are rough around the edges, and the phone conversations will vary significantly in tone depending on the yard. The phone call should give you a good idea of the type of operation they run, and how welcoming they will be. The best scrap yards will be able to put somebody knowledgable and personable on the phone.
3. Collect Current Price Information: Every scrap yard keeps an up-to-the-hour list of scrap metal prices. Some will list this information on their website, or more often, only give it to you over-the-phone. Your choice in scrap yards should revolve around which one will pay you the best for the metals you plan on selling most often. (This data is added to your spreadsheet, which is used to calculate which scrap yard will give you the best returns.) I also have advice for long-term strategies for getting the best scrap metal prices.
4. Take Them For a Test Drive: The goal of your search is to pinpoint which of your scrap yards will be the best fit for you, so after narrowing down your choice to 1-3 scrap yards, try them each out once or twice before making a final decision.
5. Stay loyal, but re-evaluate annually: Staying loyal to a scrap yard has its benefits. If scrap yard workers know your name/face they will be more likely to tip the scales in your favor (literally).  The friendlier you are, the friendlier they will become; but keep in mind that it is a business relationship. They aren’t expected to consult with you before changing their prices, but if they get caught with their scales “accidentally” zeroed wrong, then it’s time to cut them loose.

Copper pennies: The safest bet in years… But what has everybody been missing?

For close to a decade now, the copper penny craze has been getting more and more exposure. ( The news that 1 penny is worth over 2 pennies seems to spread fast.) Even in 1982, when the penny was first switched over to zinc construction, investors were hedging their bets by buying dozens of boxes of copper cent pieces. 30 years and over 100% gains later, the rest of the world is catching on.

While the value of the US dollar drops, so too drops the value of the copper penny; at the same time, the value of copper and zinc is going up, up, up! This has lead to the metal value of pre-82 pennies – weighing in at 3.11 grams per copper penny (or 146 copper pennies per pound) – to be worth 2.2¢ each as of today.

But, when talking to a copper penny “hoarder,” I often realize: They have no idea how the second-hand commodities market works! In fact, some copper penny hoarders are so far detached from the scrap copper market that they think copper pennies should have a premium over scrap value! 

Just to be clear, I think collecting and saving copper pennies is a phenomenal investment, especially in a SHTF scenario. But you should never BUY copper pennies at a premium, and here is why:

1. Copper Pennies Are NOT 100% Copper!

   In fact, copper pennies made during or before ’62 are 5% tin and zinc, and Copper pennies made after ’62 are  5% zinc! This was done to make the pennies a little more corrosion resistant, and a lot stronger.  It wasn’t until 1982 that pennies started getting minted with 97.5% zinc.  (Surprisingly, there are many people in the US that don’t know that the modern day penny is zinc. )

2. Copper Pennies Are NOT Worth Copper Spot Price!
   
   Every time I discuss hoarding with a penny hoarder, they continuously push copper spot price in my face. What many don’t understand (not all, but many) is that copper pennies are worth nowhere near spot price! Copper spot price is what it costs to buy electrolytically refined pure copper, 25 tonnes at a time! There is not a single refinery in the world that will buy copper pennies for copper spot price. Not one. Buying/selling copper pennies at spot price (or even close to it) is like buying 18k gold at gold spot price. It’s absolutely ridiculous.

3. Copper Pennies Are NOT Worth Copper Scrap Price!

   Even if the copper penny ban were lifted immediately, copper pennies wouldn’t be worth their weight in #1 copper scrap. Why? Well for starters:

   • Copper Pennies are 5% zinc! Small amounts of contamination – especially an amount like 5% – calls for a relatively large percentage downgrade for any type of copper scrap. It makes refining the metal more expensive, and that extra cost is going to come out of the seller’s pocket, not the buyer’s!

   • Copper Pennies are relatively thin! Scrap copper pennies are a hair under 1/16″ in thickness, which anybody who has sold light copper to a scrap yard knows is not worth as much as thicker walled copper!

   • Copper Pennies are hard to buy! If a scrap yard is buying 500 pounds of copper pipes from a plumber, they can simply load them onto a scale and pay you. But if any Joe bring in 500 pounds of copper pennies, the pennies need to first be sifted through for foreign objects (small pieces of steel, balls of lead, etc) to assure that nobody is trying to cheat the scale. This is not too big of a deal… But then the yard would need to check if all the pennies are pre-82! The cheapest, most cost effective method for checking a bag of “supposedly copper” pennies, is to compare its volume to it’s weight. Unfortunately, this is not going to simply be the density of copper because a pile of copper pennies is full of air! Even stacks of rolled copper pennies will still have air (and paper contamination). Both of these hiccups in the buying process are going to make buying copper pennies more of a chore then a treat!

   What that means is, unless you are selling more the a few tons of copper pennies, expect to get ~70% of spot price. If you are selling more then that, then something closer to 85%-90% of spot price is in order. (Still worth saving, by any means!)

4. Copper Pennies Could Get Hoarded By The US Mint (possibly)

   As I’ve already mentioned, the US mint is currently hiring consultants to find a new one cent piece alloy and 5 cent piece alloy. That means, they know how much their coins are worth. (Heck, they have for a few decades)

   Some coin hoarders are aware that in Canada their mint has been pulling and melting all high value metal coinage for about 6 years. This is part of what was dubbed the Alloy Recovery Program or ARP, and it has made their mint profit!

   What is stopping the US Mint from doing the same thing? They apparently had the unwritten power to ban the melting of pennies and nickels in December 2006. What is to stop them from starting their own ARP? What is stopping congress from passing some type of ARP tomorrow?

   There is an estimated 140 billion total US pennies in circulation. Of that, even if 10% are copper, very conservatively, we’re talking about 14 billion copper pennies, which “theoretically” (again, I hate to use spot prices) is $380 million as of today! If you wanted to be more liberal with your estimates, you may find there is over $1.5 billion worth of copper pennies in circulation. (This is not even counting 5-cent pieces!)

   Again, I’m not saying it will happen… but it could happen.

5. Investing in Copper Pennies is NOT a “Risk-less” Investment

   The US is experiencing stagflation right now, and its dollar is losing value! The US unemployment rate has only dropped 1% since its peak at 10% in late 2009. Inflation is still over 3.5%. An investment in copper pennies, if the melt ban isn’t lifted, is going to be a net loss. A relatively small loss, but a loss none-the-less. (Many agree, however, that potential gains are worth paying a small percentage to inflation if things don’t work out )

6. Buying Copper Pennies is NOT Equivalent to Buying Regular Copper Bullion

   Before you considering buying copper pennies, ask yourself: “Do I want to just buy un-regulated copper bullion?”

   Unfortunately, copper pennies are just that – government regulated copper bullion. The government is determining it’s value by imposing a melt ban. Do you really want the US government deciding the value of your copper bullion?

   In a penny hoarders’ fantasy, smelters will buy up copper pennies by the ton at spot price. Everybody in the metal industry – everybody – agrees that is not going to happen when the melt ban is lifted. (if the melt ban is lifted). Will they get bought up? YES! Will it be at the same price as any other type of copper scrap? YES! And for the last time, don’t get sucked into the silly idea that copper pennies are “worth their weight in spot-copper.” 

   Many investors (the ones who are well versed in buying and selling gold and silver bullion anyway) are calling copper pennies “copper bullion.” While, technically, pennies may fall under a very general definition of “bullion,” that same definition also makes copper pipes “copper bullion” as well. In fact, copper pipes are more fitting to get called “copper bullion” as they are not made of 5% zinc,and there isn’t a melt ban on them.

   The advantages of calling the copper pennies “bullion” is obvious: metal bullion is worth a premium in the eyes of an investor. (Unfortunately, copper water pipes, which can be picked up at any hardware store, are just as pure as any type of “copper bullion” on the market.)

   If you are sorting copper pennies, more power too you! I am as well! But, I have seen some people buy them for more then scrap price. Don’t be that person. Firstly, you shouldn’t be buying copper pennies from anyplace but the bank. Secondly, when you realize that you could have just bought scrap copper , you will feel like a fool.

7. This is Not the First Melt Ban On Copper Pennies!
   Imagine, for a moment, that it is 1974. Nixon is still in office (3.5 months before the water gate scandal), and copper spot just hit $1.20 per pound! “How can that be?” everybody thought, “Soon that means it will cost more money to make a penny then it is worth!” The Treasury Head quickly released a ban on melting pennies, afraid that if prices rose above $1.50 per pound people would start melting them for quick profits.In the few years that followed, copper pennies were scrutinized by congress, and and plans for aluminum pennies were drafted up! (One rare example still exists!) Unfortunately, interest in making an aluminum penny was shot down by vending machine lobbyist.This small article from 1974 summarizes the feeling at the time.  The article clearly states, “The problem is further complicated by ‘hoarders’ and speculators buying up pennies on the assumption it will soon pay to melt them down and sell the copper” 40 years later, and it looks like they were spot on!

If you are collecting copper pennies, or just want to share your input, please comment on this post or add your voice to our scrap metal forum!

This is an introductory article for those interested in recycling scrap metal but who need some help getting started. If you are already familiar with the metal recycling industry than you need to read the  Scrapper’s Handbook to find out just how much money you have thrown away for all these years. 

What do you do with your old appliances…? Your broken computers…? Your empty soda cans? Every time you discard old metal items, you are actually throwing away money!

Every metal product – from patio furniture to broken golf clubs –  has value, and that value is determined by how much metal and what type of metal the item is constructed with.

For example, an old broken aluminum pot is worthless to you as cookware; but as aluminum scrap, it is worth at least a few dollars! Broken Stainless Steel grills are found in landfills all the time, and most people have no idea they are worth up to $100 as scrap metal.

What Items Can I Sell As Scrap Metal?

Answer: Anything constructed with metal! (That includes anything that is electronic or that plugs into the wall.)

If you just opened a can of corn, you can wash out the can and set it to the side. If you are tearing down your old scrap pool, you can sell the frame for a few hundred dollars!

Things you will need to get started:

1. Someplace to store your scrap metal (can be a box for smaller items, or your garage for bigger items)
2. Some where to sell your scrap metal (see below “Where to Sell you Scrap Metal”)
3. Some way to transport your scrap metal(can be anything from a dump truck, to a compact car, to a bicycle)
4. Some tools to tear down and sort your metal items (optional, but very highly recommended)

As you get more ambitious, you will see why scrap metal recycling is the most common, and profitable, form of recycling.

Saving Your Scrap Metal

The first step in selling your scrap metal is to collect and save any worthless metal items that you don’t want or need. Broken christmas lights (copper wire), old toasters (steel body and copper wire cord), and old car parts are all examples of items worth saving.

Scrap metal can also be salvaged from other types of items: for example, an old wood door often has brass handles and steel hardware. Pull these metal parts and store them in a scrap metal box. (Larger items can be stored in the garage). Then at the end of the month you can sell everything you planned on throwing away to make $20, $50, or even a few hundred dollars.

If you get more interested in recycling scrap metal, you will quickly learn the secrets to what make it most profitable.

Where To Sell Your Scrap Metal

Scrap metals are sold at Scrap Yards. A scrap yard is a business that acts as a middle man between you and a metal refinery (or sometimes a bigger scrap yard.)

There are 5 main points that a beginning metal recycler needs to know about scrap yards:

1. To sell your scrap metal you need to be at least 16, and have a valid photo ID.
2. Every scrap yard has different categories and prices for their scrap, and no two scrap yards are the same.
3. Scrap yards weigh your metal items by the pound, and will pay you after they categorize and weigh your scrap.
4. Scrap yards compete with each other by offering better pricing in different scrap metal categories.
5. Scrap yards will take advantage of you if you give them the opportunity to.

Before selling your scrap metal, call around to a few scrap yards to see what their pricing is for aluminum, copper, copper wire, steel, etc. The interaction you have on the phone will be indicative of your experience at the scrap yard; If they have a pleasant attitude and seem helpful, they will most likely be pleasant and helpful when you get to the scrap yard. If they act like you’re wasting their time, then you should try to find someplace a little more customer friendly (especially as a first-timer).

How To Learn More about Selling Scrap Metal

You are in the right place! Scrap Metal Junkie has been educating scrappers since 2010, and is the #1 resource for metal recycling tutorials. Just check out our Scrapper’s Handbook!

Remember that the more you know about the value of your metals, the more you will be paid for them!

If you have a specific question, I suggest you post it to our free, public Scrap Metal Recycling Forum. If have suggestions, questions, or inquires for me, send them to dan@scrapmetaljunkie.com or comment on this post!

If looking to get the best scrap metal prices, there is a lot of reading you can do on this site; Besides reading this page, I suggest you browse through our publicly available Scrap Metal Guide to learn just how much money you have been throwing away for all these years! If you have any questions or comments, add them to the comments section or in our public Forum!

The world of scrap metal recycling has changed a lot in the past decade or so, if only for one small thing… Prices. Commodities have skyrocketed in recent years, taking with it something once worth pennies and making it into something worth dollars.

Where to Find Scrap Metal Prices Online

Scrap metal prices can be found on this website in the upper right hand corner of every page, under the title “Scrap Metal Prices.” Just select your scrap metal material, and it’s most recent prices will be presented in graph form along with some historical data.

These material prices are rough estimates of what your materials are worth, found by aggregating values nation wide. As explained below, the value of the scrap metal depends on many factors, and these online estimates are only useful for those tracking market movement; please call a local scrap yard and ask for their price list, and comparing it to the prices provided should help tremendously in evaluating “good” deals.

What Determines Scrap Metal Prices?

Scrap Metal Prices are a function of metal type, location, quantity of scrap metal, and current market value for your materials. In other words, the price you get paid by a scrap yard will depend on what you are selling (copper, brass, aluminum, steel, etc), where you are selling (what side of town, which side of the world, etc), how much scrap metal you are selling (pounds vs tons), and how much the material is worth once refined (“spot price”).

1. Scrap Metal Type: Scrap metal is broken down into many different types of categories. For example, Copper, Lead, and Stainless Steel are all types of scrap metals that can be sold at a scrap yard, and each of these metals can get further subcategorized into copper wire, lead wheel weighs, or 18-10 grade stainless steel, for example.Now, this is obvious to anybody who has sold metal before…But, what isn’t so obvious is the way your metal gets categorized! The category of your metal depends on the scrap yard you are at!!! For example, what one scrap yard considers bare bright scrap copper, another scrap yard will consider copper #1.Keep this in mind when shopping around for better prices, because the last thing we want is a quote for cast aluminum, only to find out the scrap yard considers your material to be pot metal. (~40% reduction in price!)
2. Geographical location: Without making too many generalizations, we can assume that scrap metal prices will always be highest in areas where there is the most competition. This means rural areas, areas far away from refineries, areas too far inland, etc will rarely have better pricing then those places where scrap yards can both fight for customers and haggle with refineries.Keep this in mind when searching for the best scrap yard. Spending 1 more hour round trip and an extra $15 in gas to get to a further scrap yard may make you an additional 15% at the pay out window!

   In a similar vein, you can always consider selling your scrap metal on eBay, which allows for tremendous competition, but which takes fees and costs you for time, shipping, and handling.(more on Selling Scrap Metal On eBay )

3. Quantity of Scrap Metal: On the surface, it is a simple concept; the more metal you have, the more it is worth. But further exploration shows that it really is a tool which can be used to your advantage! (Read more below)
4. Current Spot Metal Prices: These would be the prices that newly refined ore and scrap is being sold for. In general, the more money a refinery can the refined metal for, the more money you can sell your scrap metal for. (But, keep in mind, this isn’t alwaysthe case) The best way to keep up with metal spot prices is to check out Kitco spot price feeds.

How To Negotiate The Best Scrap Metal Prices

The easiest way to change the salvage value of your scrap metal will be to somehow manipulate any of the 4 different parameters that scrap metal prices depend on to your advantage. For example, selling to a different scrap yard can increase how much you make! Here are three simple techniques to getting better pricing, ordered from easiest to hardest; You will need to use all three to get the absolute best pricing!

1. Play the quantity:Every scrapper has encountered this scenario: You call up the scrap yard to check on the price of a certain type of metal; their first and only question “How much do you have?”When you buy/sell in bulk, you get better pricing, and the scrap yard is no exception.

   Try this on for size: instead of selling brass by the bucketful, try the barrel-full! Save up a 55 gallon barrel of brass (it doesn’t need to be full). A semi-full barrel of brass should weigh 1/4 ton – 3/4 ton depending on what type of brass components are in it.

   When you call up the scrap yard to ask what they pay for brass, they will be much more receptive to your price requests if they know you will be bringing in a 1/2 ton of brass, and hopefully will be happy to offer you 10% more than what they normally would!

   This mentality can be applied to all metals; Save up your shred metal and sell it by the trailer-full, or even dumpster-full!

   This type of price advantage is easiest to work out if you have a secure area to store your scrap metal. Be wary of thieves and city ordinances!

2. Play the market:
   All things being equal, scrap metal prices will drop slightly in the summer and increase slightly in the winter. This is especially true in areas that have very cold winters that impede recyclers and scrappers from collecting and salvaging. Use this to your advantage!!! If you can hold onto your metal for a few months before selling, you will most likely see a rise in prices in the winter!WARNING: this only works in scrap markets where there is not much volatility, meaning the price is not constantly jumping and falling without reason.
3. Play the scrap yards:Every scrap yard is willing to compete for your business, especially if your business is consistent! (Especially if you are scrapping full time!) If you are business or just a guy with a hobby, you can squeeze your scrap yards for better prices. It all dependents on how much material you are bringing in, and how consistently you are bringing it in.Start off by becoming a steady customer at a scrap yard that has proven itself to be of a high-caliber. This is the key! The better the scrap yard, the better they treat their customers. Be sure to introduce yourself to the owner, and always save your scrap yard price tickets! ALL OF THEM! Total up how much metal you bring in per week, per month, per year, etc, and how much material that is for them.

   Once you have developed a consistent and steady relationship with the scrap yard, and their workers, sit down with the owner (or acting manager) and have a frank and polite conversation with him or her. If they are not at all receptive of your request to have higher prices, that is not the end of the world! You can bring the same tickets to another scrap yard and show them how much material you are willing to bring them if they can give you better (“special”) pricing.

   The idea is not to be aggressive, but to be frank and open: They need to understand that you will bring your business to the scrap yard that can give you the best prices.

   The worst case scenario is that you end up still getting the same prices you were getting before. The best case is that you make more money per load just for asking!

If you have any questions about getting better scrap metal prices, or if your scrap metal prices are “fair,” I suggest you register for our free metal recycling forum and ask our thriving scrap metal community!

Burning insulated wire in the USA is illegal under the federal Clean Air Act. That’s it folks. Look no further.

(It’s also illegal in Canada.)

Burning wire releases carcinogens/toxins into the air and into the ground around the burn site,  including “dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter, heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, selenium and cadmium) and other pollutants.” For not following code, you can pay a fine of up to $25,000 per day and/or up to 5 years in jail. Also, if you find and report somebody for breaking the federal clean air act, you are eligible for a $10,000 reward!

For the record, just so my position is clear, the money you make by burning copper wire is not worth the risk of burning it!

Say for example that #1 copper scrap is worth 2.60 per pound, scrap insulated wire is worth $1.20 per pound, and burned wire is worth $2.20 per pound… For a pile of wire that weighs under 100 lbs, there is NO reason to burn it.

If you burned 100lbs of insulated copper wire copper wire, and you end up with less than 60 pounds of burned copper, then that means you have broken even…(When you burn copper wire, it loses about half its weight, depending on the type of wire.) see:

Before burning: 100 pounds @ 1.25 per pound = $125
After burning:   60 pounds @ $2.20 per pound= $132
Gain:  +$7
(minus time and money for burning)

On the other hand, if you were to strip the same wire, you would make at least $31!

Whether it’s copper or aluminum wire, insulated wire is not to be burned, even if a scrap yard offers to buy it that way. They know it is illegal and costly, and that is why they are not burning it themselves. If that doesn’t convince you, do it for your health: the last thing anyone wants to be handling is a hot tangle of carcinogenic wire.

Scrap RAM, aka DIMMS or SIMMS, are a valuable form of Recyclable Computer Scrap. The value of scrap RAM comes from the small percentage of precious metal used to make it’s compacted components. Precious metals include palladium, gold, and silver.

(If the RAM is fully functioning, then it is worth much more as used, not scrap)

Also known as Scrap Memory, Scrap RAM has either Gold Fingers or Tin Fingers. (The grey-colored tin fingers are not made of silver; despite this, people still call them silver fingers.)

Never cut the gold fingers off of your scrap RAM. Unless you plan on refining the whole RAM stick yourself, you will be doing yourself a disservice. The value of the scrap computer memory gold will drop significantly once you remove the fingers, as potentials buyers can not easily identify what type of electronic scrap you are selling.

There are several online vendors, and possibly vendors in your area, that specialize in buying scrap memory. Larger precious metal smelters/refiners will show interest in buying your material if you happen to have a few dozen pounds.

If you have a smaller quantity of computer RAM scrap (between 0-30 lbs) then your best chanced for getting a fair market price will be selling on eBay.

Scrap RAM can be subdivided into three main types: Gold Fingered RAM, Tin/Silver Fingered RAM, and RAMBUS/Metal Covered RAM. When selling on eBay, you should weigh these three types of memory separately. (It’s ok to list them in the same auction, but it is crucial to separate and weigh each type of scrap memory separately.) Correctly sorting and weighing you scrap RAM is KEY in getting a great price on eBay. 

When listing your scrap ram, always include the total weight in pounds, along with the words “Scrap Memory RAM Gold PM Recovery” to insure it will show up on a number of auction searches. The weights of your individual lots should be measured to at least once decimal point.

These are three pictures of the different types of scrap. They are RAM with Gold Fingers, Silver/Tin Fingers, and Metal Cover (RAMBUS).

 For more detailed guides, scrap metal business tips, and money-making recycling techniques check out the Scrapper’s Handbook. Make cash from Scrap!

If you have any comments please share here, or add your voice to our Scrapper’s Forum.

I’ve been receiving all of your emails, and just wanted to show how awesome you guys have been! Here is our latest entry in the Scrap Metal Junkie Scrapper’s Hall of Fame!
These  are the PKScrappers. You can check out their website at http://www.pkscrappers.com/

The last picture of the group is a picture of cerrobond from a doctor’s office. (Roughly a half ton of the stuff) Just reading about cerrobond, it seems like some very heavy stuff! Way to go PK Scrappers!

Our final picture is from Seth B. and is a really great haul!!!

Thanks for the great photos guys!

It’s amazing how easy it is to make money from things we were about to throw out. (Check out the Scrapper’s Handbook for Scrap Metal Tips).

This TV is ready for recycling!

Take, for example, old televisions; They are generally worth less than the scrap metal contained inside of them. So before you send them to your local landfill, pull out the scrap copper, scrap aluminum, and scrap circuit boards! Here is how to break them down for their scrap metal value.

If you are unhappy with how much money you are making from scrapping TVs, I suggest you try scrapping Computer Monitors instead. They have less glass and more metal.

Tools you will need

• Screw driver / power drill with screw bits
• Nut driver / hex (socket) head bit
• Side cutters, or wire cutters of your choice.
• A razor knife
• A few 5 gallon buckets (for sorting metals at the end)
• Gloves
• Patience

1. Remove The Scrap Television’s Back Cover

   In most models, this is just a molded piece of plastic on the back of the TV with a few fasteners holding it on. Every TV is different, so it requires a little trial and error. (If you’ve ever disassembled an old tube tv, you know exactly what I am talking about.) 

   Often times the fasteners are 3/8” hex head screws, and there is at least one in every corner of the back cover. Once you remove these screws, the cover will usually just pop off. If this is not the case, and you have a larger style TV, my only universal suggestion is to keep removing screws until you can see the “guts” of the TV.

   In some TV models, the power cable may need to be cut off before the cover comes off. Either way, cut the copper power cable and set it off to the side.

2.  Discharge the TV’s capacitor

   All devices containing  large capacitors – microwaves, TV, etc – can hold an electrical charge that is powerful enough to hurt you! (Some would even say kill you.) It’s danger is often exaggerated, but it could still give you a very nasty shock!

   If the TV you plan on scrapping was plugged-in any time during the previous week, then it could still hold a charge. Conversely, if it was unplugged for over a week, then you can pretty much expect the capacitors to have lost their charge. So no worries.

   This is a really great guide to discharging a CRT.

   If you electrocuted yourself while scrapping a TV, please leave a comment at the end of this post so we can learn from your mistakes!

3.  Cut Out Scrap Circuit Boards

   There are at least two circuit boards in a scrap TV; one of them is attached to the narrow top of the tube (the “electron gun”) and the other is the large board that usually rests at the TV bottom. Both boards can get separated from the TV usually by hand, but sometimes it requires cutting zip-ties or undoing screws.

   The printed circuit board connected to the electron gun just above the copper yoke is usually held on with some soft calking that acts as an electrical insulator. Pull this board off carefully, without breaking the glass on the TV.

   Once you have isolated the scrap circuit boards from the rest of the TV, you will be able to pull off any attachments that you think are more valuable, for example: small scrap transformers, small inductors, small aluminum heat sinks, and small precious-metal-bearing IC chips.

4.  Disassemble the Scrap Copper Yoke

   The copper yoke is a cone-shaped coil of wires at the end of the tube. It’s easy to pull all the copper out once you separate it from the tube.

   Most scrap copper yokes have 1 or 2 stainless steel screws/clips holding them onto the tube. If you simply undo these screws, you will we home free. Just give the scrap copper yoke a firm twist, and it should slide off the tube. (Sometimes it’s a bit sticky, but just keep twisting, and it should come off just fine).

   As a LAST RESORT you can use a hammer to break the yoke off of the glass. This is horribly messy, and dangerous. Once the glass is broken, it will be difficult to dispose of without cutting up your gloves or hands. Don’t break the yoke from the tube with a hammer. Once it is removed from the tube, however, that is a different story…

   

   So much copper!!!

5.  Breaking Apart the Scrap Copper Yoke

   After removing the yoke from the tube, you will want to separate all of the copper from its ferrite core. Ferrite is a type of magnetic ceramic, and will break very easily when hit with a hammer. Use this to your advantage!

   My method for separating the copper is simple: Set all of the copper yokes you have on their side in a wide based bucket. Then, with a sledge-hammer, firmly tamp down on them from above with the top of the sledge-hammer pointing down, just like you are leveling a foundation. (Actually, if you have a tamping tool, that would work just as well.)

   Pulverize the black ferrite that the copper is wound around; This will make separating the copper from the rest of the bucket’s contents much easier.

   After you have broken the yokes completely apart, it only takes a second to pull the copper from the mess that’s left. Your scrap yard may or may not want anything else that is in the bucket, but check before recycling it’s contents.

6.  Separating And Stripping The Scrap Degaussing Coil

   The scrap degaussing coil is a thick gauge wire that runs around the front of the tube. The degaussing cable is normally covered with a thick, sticky, black electrical tape. It is generally copper, but can be made of aluminum. (If it is aluminum, then it will feel much lighter than equivalent copper wire)

   Near the degaussing cable will be some tinned copper wire (It is usually braided). This is worth copper #2 at most scrap yards, so cut it from the tube with your wire cutters along with the degaussing cable.

   The copper degaussing cable is, in most people’s eyes, worth stripping to the core. This can be done with some time and a razor cutter. Do not unwrap the electrical tape by hand; it is a waste of time. 

   After carefully (and patiently) cutting a slot down the extent of the degaussing cable (without cutting yourself), pull the copper out! It will most likely be sticky from the electrical tape.

   I have found, after extensive trial and error, that most of the small gauge wire is worth the same at my scrap yard whether it is stripped or not. If your scrap yard pays great insulated wire prices, then it may not be worth stripping.

7.  Disposing of the Leaded Glass TV Tube

   Now that all of the salvageable items are out of the TV, you will want to get rid of the tube. This may be tricky in some states, which require businesses to dispose of their CRT tubes in an environmentally conscious manner. If you are not technically a business, then you have nothing to worry about!
   In general, it will be just fine for you to wrap them in a trash bag and set them to the curb with the rest of your trash. (After all, you were going to set it out there anyway.)
   I have disposed of my CRTs, among other ways, by bringing them to Best Buy, which has a buy back program that works as follows: They take the CRT if you pay them $10, but they give you a $10 gift card in return.

 Don’t Forget to be safe!

• Leave the CRT unplugged for a while before scrapping. This will assure the capacitor has enough time to bleed its charge away.
• Always were gloves! This is especially important when dealing with any broken glass.
• Don’t break the glass! Be careful not to smash anything against the tubes.
• Place finished tubes in a safe area, away from where you are working. If you were to fall on the tubes, you could seriously hurt yourself, or impale yourself.

Give comment, send feedback, or share your stories and question in our Scrapper’s Forum!

These Scrap Copper-Aluminum Coils are the most valuable scrap in an air conditioner.

Welcome to ScrapMetalJunkie! The interent’s finest scrap metal recycling resource. This entry in the Scrapper’s Handbook is an overview to recycling an AC unit for the copper, aluminum, and steel scrap value. 

Every scrapper’s dream is to find a “jackpot” of metal that is ripe for the picking. If you have any type of experience under your belt, you’ll know that “jackpots” are not happened upon often… unless, of course, you happen to find an old AC unit.

That’s right, AC units are a ripe cocktail of non-ferrous metals, and contain many pounds of copper on average! They are a specialized scrap item at most scrap yards, and they can easily get picked up or bought off of an HVAC  man. The more you know about the value of a scrap AC unit, the more money you will find yourself making.

WARNING: AC units contain freon and other refrigerants regulated by the U.S. federal government under the Clean Air Act. Briefly breathing freon will cause little harm to you physically; but if you are caught releasing freon by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) without an HVAC license (even with the proper equipment) you will be fined tens of thousands of dollars and/or jailed.

Now that I’ve gotten that line out of the way, lets discuss the three main types of AC units:

Portable/rolling AC units are built like humidifiers/de-humidifiers. They usually have a little more plastic than other types of AC units. These are worth taking apart.

Window AC units are small and densely packaged devices. They have relatively small radiators/condensers, and are heavy for their size. These are worth taking apart. 

Larger AC units have a rather flimsy build, with very large radiators/condensers. After taking out several screws (depending on the model) the whole thing will basically fall apart. These types of machines are the real money makers! They are packed with non-ferrous with very little contamination! These are worth taking apart.

It should be pretty clear; every type of AC unit is worth taking apart. Never just throw them into the scrap heap if you can otherwise help it. I realize that time is not unlimited, and for many people selling scrap metal is just a part time job or hobby; but if you are in any way serious about getting the most money for your scrap, you need to learn to tear AC units apart.

Scrap Compressors And Scrap Sealed Units

These things are the big black spheroids that weigh down the AC unit. They are a thick layer of steel plate, inside of which is a rather heavy duty motor used for compressing the working fluids in the scrap AC unit.

Some scrap yards buy these “sealed units” as is, and others want nothing to do with them. I know many scrappers who swear by sealed units, save them up for months, and then spend days non-stop breaking them down into copper, steel, etc. (The only problem is that there is always a lot of oil left over.)

If you can’t find a scrap yard that buys the sealed units as-is, and don’t want to break them down yourself, consider finding another scrapper that does! Post a selling ad, or look for a wanted ad in our Forum! Many scrappers in your area would love to buy your sealed units to break down. (If that doesn’t work, you can always network at the scrap yard, or on Craigslist.)

Scrap sealed units can be cut open with an angle grinder while being held in a vice; The wire can be stripped from the motor, or the motor can be sold as is.

Before cutting open the sealed unit, let all of the compressor oil drain out. It will take several minutes for the last dribbles to come out.

Scrap Radiators and Scrap Condensers

These are the non-ferrous tube systems that are used to compress air and radiate off heat. The bigger the AC unit, the larger its radiators are and the more valuable it is.

Scrap radiators come in a few different flavors: Aluminum, Copper-aluminum, and copper-brass. When it comes to scrap air conditioner radiators, however, they are almost exclusively copper-aluminum. That is to say, they have aluminum fins with copper tubes.

To get the best prices for your scrap radiators, you will want to clean them up! This doesn’t mean you should pull out the soap and water. This means you need to remove all steel contamination from the aluminum/copper. This means cutting off the steel with a sawzall or circular saw. (And wear eye protection!) After cutting off the steel, be weary of the hydraulic oil that will drain out of the scrap AC units and scrap radiators/condenser coils.

Scrap Copper Lines
There are numerous scrap copper lines in a scrap air conditioner, besides those in the scrap radiators. To assure that you get the best prices for these scrap copper lines, be sure to cut out any solder joints. Copper tubes without soldered joints are worth at least 10¢ more then copper tubes with soldered joints. (Copper tubes with soldered joints are called “Copper #1″ and copper pipes without soldered joints are called “Copper #2″) The difference between them is ~10¢ per pound, so it is worth separating if you have the patience.

How To Break Down A Scrap Air Conditioner

To master breaking down a scrap air conditioner, you will need practice. I recommend a hybrid of two methods: The Disassembling method, and the BFH method. 

We start off by disassembling the outside of the AC unit to get to the insides. Take the outside shell of the AC unit off by finding whatever type of drill bit or socket is necessary to remove its fasteners. If you are taking apart a central air conditioner, like pictured right,  then you can just cut the condenser lines and pull it out. Otherwise, work taking off appropriate fasteners until you strip the machine down to the condenser(s).

This leads us to the second method: Remember that many components are fastened to bent sheet steel, and the screws and bolts can easily get smacked out of place with a BFH.

Once you have the steel components separated as much as possible, you can next cut the copper lines out. This is usually done easily with a large pair of copper wire cutters, or a bolt cutter.  Avoid leaving any small pieces of copper by cutting close to connections, but not close enough to leave steel contamination. Cut out soldered joints in the lines as they are worth Copper #2 price; If what is left is not painted, then it is copper #1.  Be sure to have some type of oil pan ready to collect the compressor oil left in the copper lines.

Using side cutter, bolt cutters, or wire cutters, isolate any other copper rich components like insulated wire or fan motors. The fan motors in large scrap air conditioning units are generally very good motors for tearing apart.

Save all of the left over steel. It adds up  much quicker then think. I know it sounds crazy to most of us reading this, but there are still many people who will just throw out the steel because they don’t think it’s worth saving. (If you don’t like dealing with steel, I know many people who will “recycle” it for free. )

Don’ts

• Don’t sell your AC units as shred, if you can help it.
• Don’t release refrigerant, because if you get caught it is a serious fine and possible jail time.
• Don’t sell your scrap radiators and condensers without first cutting off any steel contamination.
• Don’t forget about sealed units: They are worth more than shred. Network with other scrappers, or scrap yards, to find a buyer if you don’t want to tear them apart for yourself.
• Don’t throw out the steel.