How Much Can You Get for Scrap Metal

Tin you actually make money with scrap metallic?

If you've got a truck and some extra time, it could be a viable side hustle to earn $100-500 a month.

In this post, we'll dive into how to scrap metal for money and whether or not information technology makes sense for you.

• How Scrapping Metal Works
  • Why Bit Metal Recyclers Exist
• Interview with a Scrapper
• Where Do You Find Chip Metallic to Sell?
  • 1. Check (Complimentary) Junk on Craigslist
  • 2. Check Local Manufacturers
  • iii. Check Local Businesses
  • iv. Tell People What You Do
  • 5. Check Your Property
  • vi. Trash Collection Day
• What Scrap Metal Should You lot Collect?
  • Ferrous vs. Non-Ferrous Metals
• Which Scrap Metals are the Most Valuable?
  • Aluminum
  • Contumely
  • Copper
  • Stainless Steel
  • Lead
  • Silver and Gold
• What Tools Do Yous Demand to Scrap Metal?
  • A Truck
  • A Magnet
  • Wrench and Screwdriver
  • Dolly
  • Tie-Downwardly Straps
  • Calibration
• Scrap Metal Prophylactic Considerations
  • Protective Clothing
  • Secure Your Loads
  • Other Scrapping Equipment
• How to Maximize Your Scrap Metal Earnings
  • Repairing and Reselling
  • Split Different Metals
  • Maintain the Condition of Metals
  • Sell to a Scrapyard with Equipment
  • Counterbalance Your Scraps Earlier Taking them to the Scrapyard
  • Own the Scrapyard?
• Where to Sell Scrap Metal
  • Local Scrapyard
  • Local Recycling Centers
  • Craigslist and Facebook
• How Much is Chip Metal Worth?
  • Ferrous Metals
  • Not-Ferrous Metals
• Do You Demand a License to Scrap Metal?
• Alternatives to the Scrap Metal Side Hustle
  • Suggested Playlist: Local Business organization Ideas
  • Purchase Depression, Sell High
  • Driving for Dollars
  • Mobile Notary Service
  • Other Options
• Scrap Metal for Money: Conclusion

How Scrapping Metal Works

The basic premise of this side hustle is to take scrap metallic to local recycling centers. These centers pay yous based on how much and what type of metal y'all bring in.

Since most "scrappers" get their inventory — the metal — for free, the biggest cost is your time.

because one day you might be picking pieces of metallic from a dumpster and the next you might be helping make clean out a house. There are plenty of places to get scrap metal if y'all know where to look and how to handle the task.

More than on where and how to source free metal in a moment.

Why Scrap Metal Recyclers Exist

Scrap metal recycling reduces metal waste in our landfills and reduces our need to mine new raw materials. Strong demand for steel in the automotive and construction sectors is fueling manufacture growth.

Most cities have 1 or more metallic recycling facilities, or at to the lowest degree collection centers where you can drop off (and go paid for) the metallic you find.

Interview with a Scrapper

Double-decker Dom Costa is a metal scrapper in Los Angeles, CA, who reported earning $400+ per calendar month.

Dom'due south a retired science teacher and football coach, and something of a serial side hustler. Amongst his other projects are real manor investing, storage unit auctions, and book flipping.

You lot can follow along with all his side hustles on YouTube or Instagram.

Where Practice You Find Fleck Metallic to Sell?

There are many ways to source chip metal.

Some popular options include Craiglist, local manufacturers and businesses, and your neighbors and neighborhood.

1. Check (Complimentary) Junk on Craigslist

In that location are so many people who want to dispose of former appliances and other items on Craigslist. These are people who want to supercede items and not repair them. They besides might not have time, knowledge, or capability to take them to the recycling eye — or they're worried virtually the costs of taking them to the dump or junkyard.

Check for homeowners and businesses that advertise their items on Craigslist and haul them for free.

Yous tin can filter your search to but pick fleck metallic from people who live nearby. Head to the gratuitous section and you'll be skilful to go, but you'll have to human action fast since other scrappers will be doing the aforementioned thing.

2. Check Local Manufacturers

Local manufacturers might have pieces of metal they need to give off. Y'all can walk in or call and ask whether the manufacturer has metal to scrap for free.

This works all-time with smaller companies every bit larger manufacturers probably already accept a procedure in place to recycle their ain metallic.

In fact, John Wilker of Birmingham, Alabama, congenital an entire business by helping local companies with their and then-called industrial byproducts. In his case, he'd acquire pallets, drums, and other dunnage items that weren't core to these businesses operations for free, and get resell them to other companies that needed them.

Motorbus Dom advocated the same strategy with metal.

3. Check Local Businesses

If you lot're in an expanse with construction or businesses that bargain with metal, yous can talk to a few and ask what they practise with their excess or scrap metal. If they're currently paying a service to haul it away, giving information technology to you for gratis could exist a win.

You can even collect soda cans from businesses where employees beverage a lot of soda. (Some neighbors of ours asked us to save our cans and bottles so their daughters could take them to the recycling center — a pretty simple "business organisation idea" for kids.)

Related: These are the states that have tin and bottle deposit laws.

4. Tell People What You Do

Family members, friends, and neighbors can help you with scrap metal recycling.

Ask if they have metallic cans or whatever other scrap they'd similar to give away. Once again, ask if they'd be willing to save their cans for you to pick every week.

If they have old appliances or even cars, you tin ask to take them off their hands. You lot'll help them become rid of some junk and can make some coin in process.

Dom echoed this strategy, explaining that if you can build a reputation in your community, you'll brainstorm to get inbound leads on flake metal.

5. Cheque Your Property

The best place to start scrapping metal is your home. You may have quondam piece of furniture, shelving, car parts, or appliances lying effectually where the metal components could be cashed in.

6. Trash Collection Twenty-four hour period

You can collect scrap metal from your neighbors on trash collection 24-hour interval. However, it's nevertheless best to talk to them in accelerate then they don't get weirded out past some random guy or girl going through their garbage!

What Scrap Metal Should Yous Collect?

Should you lot collect all metals? How should yous sort them?

Metals appear in one of two categories:

1. Ferrous
2. Non-ferrous

Ferrous vs. Non-Ferrous Metals

Ferrous metals are those that comprise iron (atomic symbol "Fe") and non-ferrous are those with no atomic number 26.

The easiest way to test if your metal is ferrous is to bank check information technology with a magnet. If the magnet sticks, it's ferrous.

Why does it affair? Well, there'south a price divergence between the ii — you'll earn more for non-ferrous flake metals than for ferrous metals.

Common not-ferrous metals include aluminum, brass, copper, and atomic number 82.

Which Scrap Metals are the Almost Valuable?

If you lot can collect plenty, about all scrap metal has some value. Some of the about common metals include:

Aluminum

Aluminum is common in window frames, structures, airplanes, boats, trains, cars, trucks, and many other applications.

It's also common in bicycles, motorcycles, and other mobility devices. Equally we've mentioned, yous can also recycle old soda and beer cans, but at $0.05-$0.ten each, you'll need a lot to make significant coin.

Fun Fact: Can-collecting was one of my primeval money-making ventures. Dad would pay my blood brother and I $0.05 for every can or bottle we constitute littered around the neighborhood.

Contumely

Brass is common on valves and pipe fittings. It'southward also found in faucets, bullet cases, light fixtures, and doorknobs.

Copper

Copper is common in wires, circuits, pipes, switches, electromagnets, and a few plumbing fittings. It is also plant in air conditioners, water supply systems, and refrigeration units.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a ferrous metallic that contains 70 percent iron. Information technology looks like steel, but isn't magnetic.

The material can fetch a high price due to the presence of 8% nickel.

You can scrap stainless steel from appliances and kitchenware. It is as well available in some aerospace and automotive technology.

Pb

You can scrap lead from wheel weights and piping.

Although pb is valuable, it'due south non easy to come by. If you practice discover atomic number 82, you need to take safety precautions to protect the surroundings and those around you because the metallic is highly toxic.

The cloth feels soft and pliable, but information technology is heavy. The metallic is also so heavy and tin be challenging to transport.

Even with the challenges, scrap lead volition fetch a lot equally it is in loftier need.

Argent and Gold

Precious metals like argent and gold are priced high. Sometimes, argent is priced higher at scrap metallic centers than at the jewelry shop or pawn shop. You lot can scrap silver from jewelry, medals, silverware, and antiquarian vases.

Gold is the most expensive of all flake metal, if yous could even call information technology that. At nearly $2000 an ounce at press fourth dimension, gold is incredibly valuable, but hard to find. Hence, all the "gold rushes" in history.

Still, you may exist able to source gold is bachelor in jewelry, antique items, and coins. Some outdated electronics have gold parts in them, only you'll need to research on how to safely remove information technology.

What Tools Do You lot Need to Scrap Metallic?

A Truck

A truck comes in handy if you are planning on recycling large autos, mechanism parts, and big appliances. If you don't have a truck, you tin can utilize your car to haul a trailer.

The size of truck y'all demand will depend on the size of appliances y'all need to haul to the recycling center.

A Magnet

A magnet helps you lot discern ferrous from nonferrous metals. If you're uncertain of the metals yous're scrapping, you tin use the magnet to test them.

Wrench and Screwdriver

You need these ii tools to remove non-metallic parts from the scrap metals, or split different types of metals.

Naturally, if you determine to repair and sell appliances, you may need other tools. YouTube is a tremendous resource for repair information!

Dolly

A dolly is essential for hauling heavy appliances or other sources of scrap metal from different places to your truck or to the recycling middle.

Tie-Down Straps

These are important to ensure safety when you carry scrap metals. Go high quality straps to ensure secure tightening.

Scale

It might be helpful to counterbalance your metals before you lot have them to the scrapyard, just to brand sure your estimates are shut.

Flake Metallic Condom Considerations

Scrapping can exist dangerous work, and there are many safety considerations that scrappers need to observe. They include:

Protective Clothing

A helmet, industrial gloves, and eye protection come in handy when you are scrapping metal. Cutting-resistant gloves are possibly the most important as they protect your easily from the precipitous edges of the metals.

Eye protection keeps you protected in case debris springs upwardly when you're taking metals autonomously.

Likewise the protective clothing, you need long sleeve shirts and pants to encompass your arms and legs.

Secure Your Loads

You need ropes, bungees, and chains to hold downwards your loads during transportation. This ensures your bit doesn't slip off and you protects other drivers on the road.

When everything is secure when you are loading the truck, you will have an like shooting fish in a barrel time during transportation.

Other Scrapping Equipment

In some cases, you might demand other equipment like ladders and even harnesses to forbid a fall. Yet, for virtually side hustlers, scrap metal that's already on the ground level is a swell identify to kickoff.

For heavy loads, information technology might brand sense to bring a friend to help you movement the textile.

Your phone and a get-go assist kit are too smart to keep on paw.

How to Maximize Your Scrap Metal Earnings

If you lot want to make more money from scrapping metal, focus on high quality metals such every bit copper, brass, aluminum, lead, silver, and gold. These are either precious such as golden and silver, or heavy such as lead.

Collecting aluminum cans can be easy, but y'all need hundreds before yous'll see any significant amount of money.

Other ways to maximize your earnings from scrap metallic recycling include:

Repairing and Reselling

If you take the tools and the skills to repair appliances, y'all tin repair chip appliances and resell them. One Side Hustle Show guest made a total-time living doing this.

Divide Different Metals

As yous detect scrap metal, separate it into ferrous and non-ferrous metals and sell them separately. Motorbus Dom recommended keeping a simple 5-gallon bucket for higher-priced metals similar copper and brass.

Naturally, you besides desire to dissever precious metals — it would exist awful to sell gold at steel prices.

Maintain the Status of Metals

Some scrappers say the condition of the metals doesn't really matter, merely most scrapyards volition pay less for rusty materials.

Rust affects the quality of other metals in the yard, and rust can reappear even after the metal melts and is molded into something else. To prevent rust, proceed your scraps in a dry identify earlier you transport them to the scrapyard.

Sell to a Scrapyard with Equipment

Selling to a scrapyard that has enough equipment allows you to get an authentic offer for your scrap metal. An avant-garde scrapyard with scales, magnets, and granulators volition better appraise your scraps to brand a improve offering.

For example, copper is more valuable than steel and aluminum, simply some scrapyards will categorize information technology as aluminum for lack of a granulator.

Counterbalance Your Scraps Earlier Taking them to the Scrapyard

It's better to drive into the scrapyard knowing what y'all have, the rates (telephone call in advance and ask how much they offer), and the total the yard might requite you lot.

Don't set yourself up for an unwelcome surprise!

Own the Scrapyard?

Instead of going around the neighborhood sourcing for chip metal, you lot tin own a scrapyard where scrappers bring you scrap metals and you pay them. This comes in handy if there's no recycling center in the neighborhood.

Once you lot collect the metals, you can then booty them to the nearest recycling center. Although you'll make less per pound, you will have more scrap metal to sell without hustling for it and potentially finish upward making more money.

Where to Sell Fleck Metal

Local Scrapyard

Local bit yards purchase fleck metallic in bulk quantities and and so sell the metal to big recycling entities. These yards tend to pay less than recyclers (beneath).

Local Recycling Centers

You tin can search for metal recyclers about where you live. Different recyclers offer unlike rates per pound so information technology is important to compare prices from dissimilar recyclers to ensure yous are getting the best offer.

Once you bring in the scrap metal, the recycling middle pays you according to their rules. Some recycling centers pay you immediately after weighing (usually in greenbacks), while others pay you after a few days.

Craigslist and Facebook

If you decide to repair and resell appliances instead of taking them apart, Craigslist and Facebook tin can be a great place to sell. Advertise your reconditioned appliances on these sites (and whatsoever other that allows free classifieds) and coordinate with buyers.

How Much is Bit Metallic Worth?

The price of scrap metals is dependent on the type of metal you have and where you live. Rates range from $0.05 a pound to over $2.00 per pound.

Keep in mind that prices fluctuate over time and tin even vary among unlike buyers in boondocks. Make certain to call ahead and confirm the rates.

One cool resource to proceed a high-level monitor on flake metal prices is the iScrapApp:

Ferrous Metals

Most buyers offer unlike prices for ferrous metals from autos and that from appliances. About buyers will requite betwixt $65 and $115 for every ton of car metal. Some offering more for a ton of farm equipment metal.

For appliances, y'all might get between $0.10 and $0.xv cents per pound.

Not-Ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous metals will fetch you more than per pound than ferrous metals. For example:

• Aluminum cans – between $0.20 and $0.35 cents per pound. (You might exist ameliorate off redeeming through your state can eolith program if, applicable.)
• Bare copper wire – effectually $ii.00 per pound.
• Brass – effectually $1.00 per pound.

Although non-ferrous metals will bring you lot more money, it'due south tough to collect as much as you would with ferrous metals.

Scrap metal is clearly a book game. Based on these prices, you need to collect a lot of metal to get whatsoever pregnant amount of coin.

To earn his $400+ per calendar month, Coach Dom was collecting several tons of metal.

Do You Demand a License to Flake Metallic?

You lot might need a license in some states or countries to sell chip metallic. In Los Angeles, California, for example, you lot need a license either equally an individual or a business organization to sell scrap metals.

Licensing scrappers is a manner of ensuring you lot're not selling stolen metals such as copper wires. Before y'all get started, make sure to bank check your local and state laws to find out if you demand a license.

Alternatives to the Fleck Metal Side Hustle

While yous can certainly brand money scrapping metallic, until you have a reliable "supplier" network, sourcing new scrap metallic can be a claiming. On top of that, information technology can be physically demanding piece of work.

And so what else could you practise to make $400-1000 or more a month? Here are a few options.

Suggested Playlist: Local Business Ideas

Money is already flowing through your city, boondocks, and neighborhood. Here are some actionable ways to get it flowing to You!

Add to Spotify

Buy Low, Sell High

Flipping items for a profit has a similar "treasure hunt" type of feel to fleck metallic, but across a wider array of products. You may not always go your inventory for gratuitous, but you tin can start with whatsoever initial investment you're comfy with, and scale from there.

Over the years on Side Hustle Nation, we've featured side hustlers flipping all sorts of products, including:

• Books
• Bras
• Flea market finds
• Raw Land
• and more than!

If you want to acquire more, my friends Rob and Melissa have a absurd free preparation on how to become started.

Driving for Dollars

Hunting for scrap metal and dropping it off volition probably put some miles on your vehicle. Some other reliable manner to become paid to drive is through several pop delivery apps:

• Postmates – Ride, drive, or walk to brand local deliveries in your town and earnup to $25 an hour doing and so. Here'south our full Postmates driver review for more than.
• DoorDash – Makeup to $25 an 60 minutes* as a food delivery driver for DoorDash. Here's our full DoorDash commuter review.
• Instacart – Get paid to shop for and evangelize other people'southward groceries. Enjoy weekly payouts and a flexible schedule. Check out our full Instacart Shopper review here, with insights from a side hustler earningan extra $450-500 a week.
• Shipt – Earnup to $22 an hour delivering groceries and household essentials to nearby Shipt members.

(Though because of fuel costs I wouldn't do this in the truck you were planning to use for scrapping!)

*For illustrative purposes only, actual earnings may differ and depend on expenses. Hourly pay is calculated using average Dasher payouts while on a delivery (from the time you accept an social club until the time you drop it off) and includes compensation from superlative pay, tips, and other incentives.

Mobile Notary Service

Several Side Hustle Nation readers have reported not bad success ($1500 a month and up!) condign loan signing agents.

Cheque the link above to learn more near how this side hustle works and why it might just be "the best kept secret in existent estate."

Other Options

If these don't appeal to you, make sure to bank check out this big list of side hustle ideas and subscribe to The Side Hustle Show to get the creative juices flowing.

Scrap Metal for Money: Conclusion

Like most side hustles, scrap metal has a learning curve and some opportunity costs. To make the most of it, like Coach Dom said, information technology comes down to relationships.

Your relationships and reputation in your local community tin turn into a consistent source of assisting scrap metal to sell.

Have y'all made coin with flake metallic? Let me know in the comments below!

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Excavator and copper wire images courtesy of Depositphotos.

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