3 Quick And Easy Ways To Make Money From Scrap Metal

There are a lot of things that you have to take into consideration when you are building an eco-friendly property. You obviously want to minimize the carbon footprint of the project. However, you also need to minimize the amount of materials that are wasted.

One of the most important things that eco-friendly contractors have to think about is the scrap metal that they use. You will want to make sure that it can be put to good use to avoid the harmful environmental impact of letting it go to waste in a landfill.

Most industry experts estimate that there are about 2,000 pounds of scrap metal in an automobile and 1,800-3,000 pounds in the average home. The amount of scrap metal left over from an eco-friendly construction project can be a lot higher. With so much metal at your fingertips, shouldn’t you take advantage of it?

If you’re wondering how to make money from scrap metal from a building project or want a few ideas for recycling it, we’ve got you covered. 

What Is Scrap Metal?

Scrap metal falls into two main categories: ferrous metal and non-ferrous metal.

Ferrous metals are made of things like iron or steel and are often large appliances or car parts. You will usually have a lot of left over ferrous metals after working on a construction project, especially if it was a commercial one. Non-ferrous metals include copper, nickel, aluminum, and others (think aluminum cans or copper wire). Both types of scrap metal can be sold and recycled. 

How Do You Go About Selling It?

When selling scrap metal, local recycling centers are your best bet. A quick online search will help you narrow down recyclers or junkyards in your area that accept metal. 

This site, along with many others, gives you advice on how to recycle scrap metals. But if you’re looking for three quick and easy ideas for recycling scrap metal from your recent construction project, then you should keep keep reading. 

1. Recycle Major Appliances

Maybe the refrigerator your subcontractor tried installing stopped working or it’s time to get rid of your stovetop. These are major appliances that contain metal, making them ideal for recycling.

Call a local recycler to find out if they take your appliance and how much they might pay for it (but be aware that you might need to transport it yourself!). Other major appliances include things like dryers, washers, and freezers. 

2. Scavenge Household Items from a Residential Building Project

You might have been asked to help install household appliances when you were working on a residential project. In comparison to large appliances, smaller household items will likely have less metal, meaning they’ll be worth less. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t make some money by recycling them. 

The next time you do some spring cleaning, look for items around your home made of scrap metal. This includes cans, copper pipes or wire, metal sinks, and cookware. Even lawn chairs made of aluminum are fair game. 

It’s possible that you’ll find metal household items left outside for others to take, too. All of these can be taken and sold to a metal recycler. 

3. Seek Out Auto Parts in the Area of Your Construction Project

Were there any abandoned cars in the area that you were conducting your construction project? Cars are a fantastic source of metal, and individual parts are worth some money.

If you have an old car you want to sell for parts, or you just have some items taking up space in your garage, taking them to a local junkyard or recycler is a great idea. Car frames, bumpers, doors, radiators, and even car batteries have valuable metal in them. Auto parts are often made of everything from steel to aluminum, copper to lead, so don’t miss out on the chance to make some money off of the scrap metal. 

Recycle Metal from Your Construction Project for Extra Cash

While these are only three ways to make money from scrap metal, there are many more recycling ideas out there. And once you run out of scrap metal in your own home, there’s lots of other metal out there to be found, whether it’s on sites like Craigslist or free on the curb. 

Inspired to recycle other materials? Check out the rest of our site for more environmentally friendly content.