Do you have an attic or garage full of junk? Perhaps you’re working at a job site where you’ll need to remove old pipes or equipment. Instead of sending unwanted metal material to a landfill, consider bringing it to a scrap yard. You can exchange your scrap metal for cash and know that you’re doing your part to keep recyclable material out of the waste stream.
Sgt. Scrap is the premier scrap metal dealer serving customers in New Jersey, as well as Delaware, southeast Pennsylvania, and parts of New York. Here, we discuss scrap metal recycling and the best sources of scrap metal.
What Is Scrap Metal?
When items that are made from metal or contain metal parts reach the end of their usable life, they don’t need to be thrown away. Scrap metal includes a wide range of items that can be recycled, melted down, and reused for future manufacturing or industrial purposes. Recycling metal is much better for the environment than mining and purifying new sources of metal ore. Scrap yards have an important role to play in conserving our natural resources by taking old metal and recycling it safely so it can be repurposed.
Many types of metal can be recycled and reused. These include:
Good Sources of Scrap Metal
Some types of scrap metal are more valuable than others, and prices in the secondary metals market do fluctuate. At Sgt. Scrap, we always post today’s prices so our customers have transparent information on how much they can expect for their scrap. There are plenty of valuable sources of scrap metal, and you might be surprised to know some of them are probably already sitting in your basement or garage.
Copper
Copper is consistently one of the most valuable types of scrap metal. It is used for a wide range of applications, from water pipes to heat exchangers to telecommunications wiring. Do you have old copper pots or pans? These can be recycled at a copper scrap yard. If you’ve completed a home renovation, you might have some old copper pipes that are no longer in use. These can be quite valuable, as well. Other common sources of scrap copper include car parts, older appliances, copper bearings, and roof accents.
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, both of which can be recycled and reused. It can be expensive to manufacture, so businesses are willing to buy recycled brass to save money. You’ll likely find plenty of scrap brass in junk shops and auto shops, but you can find it around the average home, too. Old HVAC equipment often has brass fittings or fixtures. Most doorknobs are made from brass, as well as decorative items such as lamps and candlesticks. You also can find brass in plumbing fixtures such as faucets, pipes, and channel drains.
Aluminum
Aluminum’s price tends to be lower than prices for brass or copper, but it can be easier to amass larger amounts of this common scrap metal. The best source of scrap aluminum may be the construction and home improvement industry. You’ll frequently find roofing materials, gutter systems, siding, doors, and window frames made from aluminum. Other sources of scrap aluminum include vehicle panels and wheels.
Choose a Reputable and Reliable Scrap Yard
As an experienced scrap dealer, Sgt. Scrap prides itself on making the metal recycling process simple and transparent. With locations in Haddon Township and Pennsauken Township, NJ, we serve customers throughout New Jersey, Delaware, and parts of Pennsylvania and New York. For clients with at least 500 pounds of non-ferrous metal, we’re happy to arrange mobile pickup services. If you have a smaller amount, you can still exchange your scrap for cash – simply drop it off at one of our scrap yards.
Our staff is happy to answer any questions you may have about scrap metal sources, the recycling process, or the types of material we accept. For more information, contact us today.