Whether it’s food cans, renovation remnants or the remains of a failed robot project (RIP, Rusty…), we all tend to build up scrap metal over the course of our lives. It’s tempting just to chuck it away and be done with it, but you might be missing out on a fair bit of cash in doing so. Scrap metal yards will gladly pay for your old junk, so here are a few tips on making sure you get the very best deals.

What can you scrap?

This seems like a pretty good place to start, no? There are plenty of scrap metal yards around, and they’re all looking to buy a wide range of metals every day. You can scrap all sorts of stuff, including old appliances (washing machines, microwaves, computer towers, etc.), aluminium cans, copper wiring, metallic factory waste, vehicle parts, and even whole vehicles.

Sort your metal items according to type

Metals are sorted by various categories, and it pays to have a basic understanding of them. The more informed you are, the better the price you’ll be able to get for your scrap. Broadly speaking, scrap yards will classify your metals as either “ferrous” or “non-ferrous”.

Ferrous metal is the most common type of scrap metal, i.e. iron and iron alloys such as steel. This encompasses most household appliances, as well as things like cutlery, nails and auto parts. Non-ferrous metal is much rarer, and includes zinc, tin, aluminium, copper and brass. Ferrous metals will get you some money, but non-ferrous metals are far more valuable. Brass and copper in particular always fetch very good prices. Be sure to sort your metals before you head out, as you’ll be paid more when the scrap yard workers don’t have to do it themselves. Speaking of which…

Prepare before heading to the scrap yard

You might be itching to just load up your metal tear off for the scrap yard, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. In addition to sorting your metal, there are several other steps you should take before hauling it in. For starters, make sure you’ve got enough. Scrap yards pay more for bulk, so don’t go to one until you’ve amassed a collection. Secondly, remember to strip down the materials so you’re only handing in metal. This will fetch you a higher price, as the yard’s labour costs will be cheaper.

Find a reputable dealer

As a final note, always do your research before choosing which scrap metal yard you’re going with. They’re vendors just like any other, and some exercise better standards and offer better prices than others. See what you can dig up online, and consider all the factors to ensure you’re getting the best possible prices for your metals.

As you can see, there’s lot to consider before scrapping your metal. Why not check our listings to find the most the trustworthy scrap metal merchants in your area?