30, Mar, 2020

Making Some Extra Money By Scrapping Metal

When times are tough, it can be a challenge to stay on top of all of your bills. It becomes more and more important to find other ways to make money quickly so that you can stay out of debt. There are many ways to make some quick money if you need to cover a bill. But before you decide to pawn off your possessions, we recommend that you look at old scrap metal that you may own. A lot of homeowners think that recycling scrap metal is only for commercial entities or people who own a lot of large or heavy machinery, in fact, there are many types of scrap metal you can find around your home.

Where To Find Scrap Metal In Your Home

There are a variety of places around your home to look for some used scrap metal. Most yards in Massachusetts buy iron, steel, copper, aluminum, and other highly valued metals. Of course one of the most common things to scrap is an old vehicle. Cars, trucks, boats, and any other vehicles can be sold as single objects or piece by piece. If you have a vehicle to scrap check out our guide. Otherwise here are a few places to find scrap around your home.

• Kitchen Scrap Metal: Old pots, pans, baking sheets, and other metal cookware can be scrapped as well as cutlery that is made out of the correct metal. Just remember that you want to separate ferrous and nonferrous metals and organize your metals into bins. Older appliances also may contain some metal as well as copper wire.
• Bedrooms & Living Spaces: If you have an old television, lamps, or air conditioners these can be broken down into base parts and scrapped.
• Outside: Gutters, patio furniture, metal swingsets, and even iron railings can be taken apart and used for scrap metal. You can also scrap different machines with motors like a riding lawnmower.
• Misc: Check any electronics for copper wire, old metal furniture,  power tools, paint cans, nails, screws, and other small pieces of metal. If you can collect a few pounds lof similar metal together, you can sell it. Many homeowners also scrap old bicycles after they become no longer useful.

Where To Scrap Metal

At Taunton Scrap Metal we believe in helping residents get the best prices for their metals. As we are writing this, we are temporarily closed for the COVID-19 virus, although we recommend that you visit our sister locations Middleboro Recycling and Spiegel Scrap Metal in Brockton.

23, Feb, 2020

How To Properly Recycle Batteries in Massachusetts

As a scrap a metal yard, we often help local community members in our service area with tips on how to scrap different types of metals. Our commercial clients usually are looking to scrap specific metal waste that is created from construction, but our residential clients have a lot of different unique scrapping and recycling projects. For instance, one of the most common things we scrap is car parts. However, we also often get asked whether or not we take batteries. So we wanted to write this helpful guide on how to properly get rid of old dead batteries.

Recycling Single-Use Batteries

Single-use batteries are a catch-all for the small batteries that are used throughout most people’s homes. They include AA, AAA, and D cell batteries that are commonly used for smoke detectors, remotes, and other battery-powered equipment. In the state of Massachusetts, it is legal to simply throw out these batteries in your regular trash. Years ago these batteries used small amounts of mercury, which is why it was illegal to simply throw them out. But now, they are made of common metals and are no longer an issue to simply throw out with the rest of your trash. However, it is possible to recycle single-use batteries. To recycle single-use batteries, you should research local recycling centers that recycle batteries. Generally speaking, unlike other metals, you will not likely make money recycling batteries. Some residents buy rechargeable batteries to avoid needing to recycle or throw out batteries constantly.

Disposing of Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries have become more prevalent in homes throughout Massachusetts. They are in phones, computers, power tools, and many other appliances. As mentioned above, some residents buy rechargeable batteries to replace their AA, AAA, and D-cell batteries. Unliked the single-use batteries, rechargeable batteries should not be thrown away. If a piece of technology is no longer useable, or the battery is no longer holding a charge, you should recycle the battery. Similar to single-use batteries you will need to find a local recycling center that takes those types of batteries. It is unlikely that there are recycling centers that will pay for them.

Disposing of Car Batteries

At Taunton Scrap Metal, we take and scrap a variety of automotive parts. This includes car batteries, Based on the condition, the metal, and the weight, we will pay you for your old car battery. We also scrap steel-cased batteries. Steel case batteries are generally found in forklifts and other similar equipment. If you want to recycle a large battery, we highly recommend checking our prices or coming to our scrap yard.

27, Jan, 2020

How To Make Money Scrapping An Old Car in Massachusetts

24, Dec, 2019

How To Make More Money Scrapping Metal

Whether you need some extra money for holiday/birthday shopping or you are looking for some extra pocket change, scrapping metal can be an effective way to make quick cash. Not only is it an effective economic resource, but it is also environmentally beneficial, so it is truly a win-win. In the past, we covered the basics of scrap metal recycling including finding the right yard, metals you cannot scrap, and basic factors that influence the price of metal. Today we are covering a few strategies that can improve how much money you make when you scrap.

Organize Your Scrap Metal

We have said this a few times in the past. But if you want to be a seasoned scrapper, you need to consider organizing your scrap metal. Bringing a mixd container of random metals is fine for a novice who just wants to quickly clean out their garage and get some quick cash, but if you want the most bang for your buck you need to organize. If you bring a bin of mixed metals you are most likely going to get paid for the average metal (although that doesn’t stop some scrap metal yards from paying you for the cheapest metal in the bin). No matter what strategy of payment your yard is using, organizing your metal makes you the most money. It is as simple as that. If you are planning on scrapping metal consistently, get used to organizing your metal from the get-go. If you are confused about a metal component you have, consider using the online scrapping community to help identify your metals. Seasoned scrappers have pre-labeled bins with the most common metals already labeled to ensure they can quickly and efficiently make the mot on their scrap.

Separate (Clean) Your Scrap Metal

Slightly different from organizing your metal, you need to separate metal pieces that are conjoined. Break your metal down into single pieces of like metals. This is the difference between clean and unclean metal. Unfortunately, some novices to scrapping assume that “unclean” metal refers to rust or damage and they actually think they need to clean the metal. When scrap yards delineate between clean or unclean fins or other metal components they are talking about how much work they will need to do to separate the metal you brought into different metal pieces. Strip insulated wires*, break down machines like air conditioners, and generally separate pieces of metal into their base components. *Be mindful of stripping insulated wires. This is best done when you have a large number of insulated wires to deal with. Fifty pounds of insulated wires will become lighter when all the insulation is removed, so you need to be mindful of how much metal you actually have relative to insulation.

Be Strategic When You Scrap

The larger your load of metal, the better the payday. There are many benefits to hoarding your metal before bringing it to the yard. You can track prices and wait for your metals to increase in value. You can save on gas and time by combining multiple trips into one large trip. And generally, it is just more valuable to scrap large amounts of metal a few times a year instead of small amounts every few days.

Come To Taunton Scrap Metal

More questions about when/what to scrap? Come to Taunton Scrap Metal. Our team can help you effectively and efficiently scrap your metal. The above strategies are beneficial for scrappers that want to ensure that they get the most money for their scrap, however, they are a bit labor-intensive and they require that scrappers have some experience, tools, and time on their hands. Many newer scrappers choose to save time by just bringing scrap metal whenever it builds up. We are happy to recycle your metal regardless of what method you prefer. Give us a call to learn more about our yard or follow this link for directions.

22, Oct, 2019

How To Organize Your Scrap Metal

Looking for ways to recycle old materials is great for the environment. However, not all recycling can make you money the way that scrapping metal can. Because metal is versatile and easy to reshape for new purposes, scrapping it can make you some spare cash. And commercial contractors can make a decent amount of money getting rid of scrap metal. However, your return on scrap metal is dependant on how much metal you bring, the prices at the yard you go to, and the condition of the metal. Here are some tips for getting organized to get the most out of your materials and efforts.

Know What Scrap Metal You Have

If you’ve never scrapped before and are just getting into it, it is wise to look into the different metals there are, where they come from, and what can be done with them. There are several scrap metal guides online that can help you figure out what metals you’ve got. Once you know this, you can start organizing and getting ready to bring your metals to the scrapyard.

Scrap Metal Organizational Tips

Before you delve into your items, make sure you are ready to separate them as needed. This means you’ll need to have bins or boxes ready to serve as receptacles for each type of metal you’re dealing with. Although most yards don’t have an official “organizational fee,” it is common that yards will pay an average price for unorganized metal instead of precise prices for organized metals. To get the most out of your metal, separating pieces by type is the best way to ensure you get the best price. Although if you do not have time to organize and want to conveniently get rid of scrap metal, bringing a single bin is always an option.

Scraping Metal Wires

If your scrap collection has an abundance of wires, you will want to have them sorted into a couple of separate piles: one for bare wires and another for insulated. Generally, if an insulated wire is very thin, it won’t be worth your time to remove the insulation. However, if the wires are much thicker, around a centimeter or two, you may want to consider stripping them to get to the bare metal inside.

Computer Scrap

With technology on the move faster than ever, you may come across a lot of old and outdated computer parts. Some of these parts may still be functional and can be sold as-is for a higher price than you’d get if you were just scrapping. But broken old parts can be scrapped. If you’re finding a lot of computers or parts, section them out so you have all motherboards in one place, then all hard drives, etc. Once they’re divided up, you can call a professional to see what can be done with any working parts and bring the rest to a scrap yard for disposal.

Steel and Iron

As a very common metal, chances are that you’ll see a lot of steel in almost any scrap yard. For new scrappers, use a magnet to determine if your scrap is steel or iron. If the magnet sticks, you have either steel or iron. If not, you may be looking at aluminum or stainless steel, which isn’t as valuable. Make sure you keep them separated to get the most out of your scrap collection.

Copper

Copper is probably the most valuable items that you’ll come across while scrapping. You’ll see it mostly in wires, tubing, and piping. If the copper is clean and relatively pure, it’ll be a #1, whereas the presence of solder, paint, rust, or any coatings will render it a #2. Keep the types separated, since they’ll fetch different values at the scrapyard. Not organizing your scrap keeps you from getting the most for your metal.

Come to Taunton Scrap Metal to get the best prices in Bristol County on your scrap metal. Give us a call or contact us online to learn more about our yard.