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October 29th, 2020

10/29/2020

13 Comments

 
How To Clean & Organize Metal
When you look at the prices provided at a scrap metal yard you will likely notice that they pay different prices for different metals. Additionally they may indicate different variations of the same metal including numbers or with descriptors like "prepared" or "unprepared" or "clean". For someone new to scrap metal recycling, these terms and identifiers might not make sense. And although you might know what type of metal you have you might not know if it is "prepared" or "clean" or what number it is. Here is a quick guide to these terms and how to make more for your scrap metal. 
How To Organize Scrap Metal
The first step in recycling scrap metal is organizing the metal into separate bins or containers. You should keep like metals with each other. If you provide an unorganized bin of metal, the yard could pay you based on an average of all the metals or even pay you based on the cheapest metal in the bin. To get the most for your metal you should separate each metal into separate bins. 
Understanding Numbers in Reference To Scrap Metal
Scrap Yards will usually indicate if they pay different prices for the quality of the metal provided by using numbers. For instance, heavy metal steel is usually categorized into two groups: HMS #1 and HMS #2. HMS #1 is higher quality as it does not contain blackened steel or galvanized steel. The same applies to copper. Although in the case of Copper, metals can be separated into three categories. Each of these types of copper is identified by its quality.  
The Difference Between Clean & Unclean Metal
Some scrap metal yards will organize copper based on how "clean" it is. To someone new to recycling copper, they might misunderstand this as referring to cleanliness. In fact the clean copper refers to the damage and rust. Signs of oxidation and damage can decrease the value of the copper. Copper #2 likely shows signs of oxidation or has solder, paint, coatings, and other tarnishing affecting the value of the copper. Just like separating different types of metal you should separate different grades of copper and heavy metal steel. 
Prepared Vs Unprepared Heavy Metal Steel
Another consideration is if the your metal is prepared or unprepared. Unprepared metal includes components that have multiple metals present. Metal is most valuable if it is purely one metal separated from all foreign materials. This means all attachments that are composed of other metals or materials need to be removed. 
Preparing Your Scrap Metal For Recycling
When you plan to sell scrap metal you can improve your profits by taking a few simple steps. Remove insulation from copper wire, separate metals into their purest forms and keep all of your metals in separate bins. By recycling each metal individually you can get the most for your metals. However, some people recycle scrap metal may not have the tools or the time for these projects. In that case, you can always recycle your metal without organizing and cleaning it, but you will want to go to a yard you can trust to give you a fair price for unorganized metals. 
13 Comments
Braden Bills link
3/11/2021 10:57:25 am

I took apart an old shed that I had, but now I'm not sure what to do with the extra metal. It makes sense that cleaning it and having it recycled would be beneficial. I've always been a fan of recycling to help the environment.

Reply
Knowledge Sourcing link
3/15/2021 08:40:11 am

Protection of the environment and preserving natural resources is a major reason to use recycled metal.

Reply
Braden Bills link
3/31/2021 10:35:45 am

I have some old scrap metal that I'm not sure what to do with. It makes sense that getting it properly recycled would be important. I'll be sure to work with someone to ensure that I handle things properly.

Reply
Kristofer Van Wagner link
5/19/2021 01:49:18 am

I appreciate that this post highlighted that when choosing to have scrap metal recycled, it is important for us to consider the preparation. In doing so, it will make the recycling process that much easier. Assuming that I need to have scrap metal recycled, I will remember to ensure it is properly packed and segregated.

Reply
Adam Golightly link
6/4/2021 03:02:37 pm

My brother has been thinking about getting rid of his scrap metal because he has a bunch of old cars. He would really like to get some help from a professional in order to be more effective. It was interesting to learn about how they may pay different amounts for metal because they are separated depending of what kinds of metal they are.

Reply
Mia Evans link
8/10/2021 07:42:03 pm

Thanks for pointing out that metal is valuable when they are purely one metal component. I guess it would be best to choose pure steel for my property when the construction starts this year. It means that it will be of high quality and ensure that the value of my home will be good. Hopefully, I can find a steel supplier once I've hired contractors.

Reply
kate hansen link
9/1/2021 04:55:03 pm

It's good to know that you should sort metals when recycling them. My husband told me last night about how he has a lot of scrap metal at his work that he wants to look into recycling, and he wanted to know some tips on how to recycle it correctly. I'll make sure to pass this information along to him once he finds a company that can recycle his metal for him.

Reply
Millie Hue link
10/11/2021 10:05:32 pm

Thanks for pointing out that we can separate metal using containers or bins. I will follow your advice now that we have wires in the backyard and some other metals that we can sell. We need to find a cash for a wire shop near us so that we can have extra cash to pay for the bills this month.

Reply
Jhon link
11/10/2021 02:24:21 am

Excellent post. I want to thank you for this informative, I really appreciate sharing this great post. Thanks for sharing this…

Reply
Max Jones link
4/26/2022 06:58:16 pm

Thanks for the info about scrap metal. I have copper that I want to get rid of. I'll look for a recycling service that can help me out.

Reply
John Carston link
9/5/2022 07:13:40 pm

I found it interesting when you said that every metal has different prices depending on its weight and size. My cousin mentioned a couple of days ago that he was planning to dispose of his scrap metals but not in the waste, and he asked if I had any idea what would be the best option to consider. I love this enlightening article, I'll tell him that he can consult a well-known metal recycling service as they can help with the proper scrap management.

Reply
Jessie Holloway link
10/5/2022 04:26:56 pm

Thanks so much for the guide on how to recycle metal. My uncle is working on a large project and he's been trying to figure out what to do with all the scrap metal he's been producing. We're looking into metal recycling and seeing if that can help solve his problems.

Reply
Afton Jackson link
12/1/2022 09:13:02 pm

Cleaning and preparing metal materials to be able to recycle them better feels really important. This could make it easier for the processing plant to reuse all of those things and manage everything well, thus making the procedure faster and more effective. I'd want them to have that kind of ease, so I'll do these with our scrap metal materials first before we send them to a recycling plant.

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