There are a number of benefits with recycling metal, some of which you may know and some you may not. A lot of people will take the old metal to recycling plants as it is one way to make sure it does not end up on a landfill site, but what a lot of people may not know is that the scrap yard also is a very good place to take metal as they will pay you to take it. Here's a look at the basics you need to know about selling your metal for scrap:

How Is The Pay Calculated?

Most places will pay by the weight of the metal, and depending on where you are from, the weighing will be different. For example, Australian scrap yards deal in per kilo measurements and the United Kingdom will weigh in tons.

Also, you might be surprised to know that they will take a lot of things and will pay different rates depending on the type of metal and its weight. For example, in Australia, the price of copper is $4.00-$6.00 per kilo, so if you're renovating a home or you're a plumber and would like to try and make a bit more money, you could take the excess and the off-cuts that can't be used to a place like this.

Metals That Can Be Weighed in

Most scrap yards will often accept a wide selection of metals which all have their own value. However, to maximise how much you receive from them, you should separate what you take by metal type, as you could receive less for mixed metal compared to separated metals.

This is because, with mixed metal, they will be unsure what most of the weight will be from and how much of each you have, therefore lowering the amount you receive. Spending that little bit of extra time splitting each metal type up could, in fact, make you more money in the long run

Some of the metals that you can expect to take to the local scrap yard include:

Copper

Aluminium

Brass

Stainless steel

Iron

Titanium

Lead

All cars, vans and trucks (as long as they are metal)

Some places may take more or less depending on if they have the ability to dispose of it correctly. If you're not sure what your local yard takes, call them before you go. That way you can ensure that you only take what they will buy.

Contact local metal recyclers for more information and assistance.