With most landfills filling up at an alarming rate, recycling is more important than ever. Although most types of recycling only offer the reward of a sense of satisfaction, some types of recycling can be quite lucrative. One of the most popular types of for-profit recycling is metal recycling. While you might not get rich from metal recycling, there are a few tips you can follow to help you make this task well worth your while.
Know Where To Look
When you’re trying to make money by recycling metal, it’s important to avoid wasting time as much as possible. That’s why it’s important to know where to look for metal that you can take to your local recycling center. One great way to find metal is to check neighborhood community sites to find postings from people looking to get rid of scrap metal. You can also stop by building sites to see if they have any leftover materials that they’re getting rid of.
Know What’s Worth Your Time
Although all types of metal will fetch some amount of money, it’s important to know the most valuable types of metal so that you can use your time wisely. Harder-to-find metals, such as copper and brass, tend to bring in more money than the metal found in refrigerators, shelves, and other common household items. Just know that if there are other recyclers in your area, there will be stiffer competition for more valuable metals, meaning that you need to move quickly.
Use the Right Equipment
The main way to make money with metal recycling is to make sure you have plenty of metal to recycle when you arrive at the recycling center. This means you’ll need the right equipment to haul large amounts of metal at one time. A well-built truck with an extended bed is a great start. However, adding a trailer will help you collect more metal before you have to use gas to drive to the recycling center.
Find a Fair Recycling Center
If there is more than one recycling center in your area, it’s important to shop around to see which centers offer the best prices for various metals. Sometimes, you may find that different locations have better rates for certain metals. To take advantage of these differences, you’ll need to sort the metals as you collect them and then wait until you have enough of a specific type of metal to justify taking a trip to the recycling center.
Advertise Your Services
To make the most money with metal recycling, you can’t always expect the metal to come to you. Instead, you may need to advertise your services so that individuals seek you out when they need to dispose of scrap metal. You can print business cards, post on local neighborhood sites, and work hard to build word-of-mouth so that you can build a steady stream of income by recycling items that other people don’t want.
