Six Things You Shouldn't Assume About Copper Recycling

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If you're interested in recycling scrap metals, one popular type of metal to recycle is copper. It's important to be accurately informed about copper recycling to make the most of this venture.

The following are six inaccurate assumptions you shouldn't make when it comes to copper recycling. 

Copper is difficult to find.

Copper might be more difficult to find than less valuable metals such as aluminum or iron. However, there are many potential sources of copper. Copper is commonly used in the manufacture of appliances, electronics, roofing, and plumbing fixtures. It is also used to make many home décor items.

With a little time and effort, it shouldn't be difficult to find copper that could potentially be recycled for cash. 

It's not worth the trouble to recycle copper.

You might be surprised at how much you can get from a scrap yard for recycled copper. Copper is valuable as a scrap metal. In addition to being good for the environment, recycling copper can also be profitable. 

Any copper is going to be very valuable.

While copper is one of the more valuable scrap metals out there, it's important to note that not all copper you'll come across is pure copper. For example, some copper wire you come across may have an aluminum core. This detracts from the value of the copper wire when you recycle it as scrap metal. 

The most profitable way to scrap copper is to strip it from electronics.

You may have heard that electronics are a common source of copper. While this is true, electronics might not be the most abundant and valuable source of scrap copper. That's because electronics often only include very small components that are made from copper.

Many who start recycling copper find that sourcing copper from old plumbing pipes or architectural features like gutters allows them to accumulate larger amounts of copper more efficiently.

It's hard to find a facility that will take copper.

Any scrap yard should accept scrap copper. It's also worth noting that just about any recycling center out there should also take copper. This means that it should be pretty easy to find a facility where you can recycle copper.

Recycling copper is dangerous.

Some people are discouraged from recycling copper because they're worried that it is a hazardous pursuit. However, you shouldn't have any problems as long as you wear protective equipment while handling scrap copper such as steel-toe shoes, safety goggles, and work gloves. 

For more information about copper recycling, contact a recycling center in your area today.

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15 February 2022

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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.