Tired Of Bottles And Cans? 4 Tips To Help You Branch Out Into Scrap Metal Recycling

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If you've been recycling small items like glass bottles and aluminum cans, but you want to make more money for your efforts, it's time to start recycling scrap metal. Scrap metal recycling includes items such as radiators, aluminum screens, and major appliances like refrigerators and air conditioning units. Here are some tips that will help you get your scrap metal recycling efforts off to a good start.

Make It a Team Effort

If you've decided to branch out into scrap metal recycling, make it a team effort. Scrap metal recycling requires some heavy lifting and extensive labor, especially if you're going after the big ticket items – appliances and copper wire. Your big appliances will need to be lifted and hauled away, while your copper wire will need to be stripped clean of the protective coating. These projects are better accomplished when there are multiple people working together to get the job done.

Have a Good Sorting System

When it comes to recycling scrap metal, it helps to have a good sorting system in place. You can't just haul all your metal to the recycling center in one heap. You need to have it sorted into sections, especially if you don't want to deal with delays and frustrated workers or customers. To save time and prevent frustration, your metal should be sorted into categories such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal, aluminum and copper.

Equip Yourself With the Right Tools

If you're going to be recycling scrap metal, you need to equip yourself with the right tools. First, you'll need tools to make dismantling the metal easier to accomplish. For that, you'll need a drill, a reciprocating saw, and a wire stripper. Second, you'll need tools to keep you safe during the dismantling and handling of the metal. For that, you'll need goggles and a good pair of heavy-duty gloves. It's also a good idea to invest in a pair of steel-toed boots.

Keep Track of Community Cleanup Days

If you want to turn scrap metal recycling into a lucrative side business, keep track of the community cleanup days. Those are the days where residents get rid of things they no longer need by placing them at the curb for pickup. By keeping track of those days, you can grab up all the metal items that people set at the curb. For maximum benefit, monitor the civic calendars for all the communities in your area.

Now that you're finally branching out into the scrap metal recycling business, turn to a company like Gutterman Iron & Metal Corp for help with completing the recycling process for the greatest benefit. 

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6 June 2019

Recycling More Effectively

After we made a commitment to focus on the environment as a family, we decided that it might make sense to start recycling. We focused carefully on sorting our plastic, metal, and paper, and we were able to completely overhaul how much trash we threw away. Within a few days, we were able to see a reduction in our amount of normal garbage accumulation, and an increase in the amount of materials we were sending in for recycling. It was great to teach our kids what they needed to know to protect the environment. This blog is all about learning how to recycle more effectively.