Unused metals occupy spaces on your property that could be used to store equipment and other products. Taking these metals to a yard enables you to earn money and support recycling industries. Repurposing scrap metals reduces the urgency of mining new raw materials, promoting environmental stability. Here are some of the steps for taking your metal to a scrap yard:
1. Sort Your Metals
Metals have different values, and sorting them allows you to get accurate pricing for each type. Knowing the use and recyclability of the metal will enable you to understand the market rate before taking it to a scrap yard. Some metals are malleable, and storing them with other appliances exposes them to corrosion. Separate magnetic materials and keep them in a dry environment to prevent rusting. The density and conductivity of metals are other factors to evaluate when sorting your metals. Old gutters and plumbing pipes contain copper elements and should not be mixed with ferrous iron or steel. A magnetic bar helps sort non-ferrous metals when they are packed in a single space.
2. Prepare Your Metals
Clean up your metals before taking them to a yard for proper recycling. Scrap yards have strict hygiene guidelines for the materials they buy or accept. Remove grease and rust from the metals to get accurate weighing results. Bring your metals to the site in a truck or secure container to protect the materials and promote easy weight calculation. You can weigh the metals before taking them to a yard to get an estimate of their value. Label your metals based on the content, as this will help you and yard employees save time identifying each metal.
3. Check the Yard’s Policy
Check the policies through the yard’s website or call to confirm the requirements before taking your metal. When you have the ownership documents for appliances or vehicles you want to sell, yard employees can process your materials quickly. All donated or sold vehicles need to have a recognized license to be accepted. You must be at least 18 years old to sell scrap metal, and some yards don’t accept walk-in clients. Materials that are ferrous are only bought when they are still intact. Some yards have policies about specific metal types, like copper, to maintain federal regulatory compliance.
4. Understand the Pricing
The weight and type of the metals are some factors that determine a metal’s price. The market rates at the time of the sale may also affect the materials’ price. Different yards have different payment processes, such as cash after delivery, individual verification, and commercial payment vouchers. The payment is dependent on the state’s law or contract agreement. Knowing the yard’s pricing helps you prepare for selling your metals. If you can’t find the yard’s pricing online, contact the dealer to get price estimates.
5. Prepare for Transportation
The safety of your metal pieces during transportation depends on how they are packed and the transport vehicle’s capacity. Check the vehicle’s load capacity on the manual to maintain the set load volume. Wear protective gear and gloves to protect yourself from sharp objects. Use container bins to separate metals during transportation. For open trucks, use a tarp to protect the load. Sealed tanks should be secured during transportation to prevent spillage and damage to other materials. Reputable dealers have cranes and forklifts to help customers to offload their materials after transport.
Visit a Reputable Scrap Yard
Choosing a trusted scrap yard helps you to get fair pricing for your scrap metals. These yards implement security checks to confirm that only verified metal pieces are accepted on their premises. A reputable dealer will process your payment without delay after confirming your identity. Contact a scrap dealer or recycler today to learn more about which metals they accept and their current prices per pound.
