Besides being a great way to make extra cash, collecting, selling and recycling scrap metal preserves an environment that is already choking with pollution. However, collecting and recycling scrap metal is not just a matter of filling your truck with any waste metal you come across. The only way to guarantee steady income is to follow what experts have always done. This article highlights the do's of scrap metal collection.
Identify Metals Accurately
When you start collecting scrap metal, you will learn that they are priced differently. The reason is that scrap metals are of different types, with some being more valuable than others. Therefore, it is essential to accurately identify each piece of scrap metal in your pile before selling it to a dealer. If you misidentify your metals, you will be disappointed and frustrated when offered less money than you expected. For instance, copper, brass and bronze, also referred to as the red metals, look alike physically, but they are quite different in composition and value. Copper is the most valuable of the three and attracts a higher price. Therefore, if you mistake bronze with copper, a scrap metal dealer will pay you the value of the bronze metal. Use a metal analyzer to help you identify each scrap metal accurately.
Choose a Dealer Carefully
The type of scrap metal dealer you work with determines how much money you take back home. Notably, scrap metal dealers are highly competitive, and attracting scrap metal collectors is their primary objective. Therefore, look for a dealer offering competitive prices for your scrap load. Besides, choose a local dealer so that you don't spend a lot on transporting your scrap metal to a yard. You might even be lucky to find a dealer who offers scrap metal pickup services. A dealer that checks all three boxes is the best to work within in the long run.
Follow the Laws
As a scrap metal collector, you must be aware of laws influencing scrap metal collection. For instance, you do not have a right to walk into a construction site on the weekend or at night to collect scrap metal without permission. If the security personnel manning a site apprehend you, they have a right to call the police because it is considered trespassing. Similarly, you cannot go through a person's trashcan looking for scrap metal just because they are not around. Therefore, read signs and talk to people before you collect scrap metal from anywhere. Due diligence will save you from hefty fines.
Share
