How to Scrap Metal and Make Money

How to scrap metal and make money doing it


All metals can be recycled but scrapping for profit requires a few tools and some basic knowledge. Most people live near a metal dealer and it’s best to get to know these people and be on good terms with them.

Some scrap dealers are notorious for shorting people on the weight of the metal they bring in. In my area the yards pay you in cash but other parts of the country have differing systems of payment but in almost all cases you will have to provide valid ID. You will get to know who is who in the business very quickly because you will be standing in line to collect your cash. Most of the other people (male and female) in that line are just like you and are eager to share stories about what they have run into.

One important thing to remember is that scrap yards get to see it all and they are often the victims of scams so they are very cautious about what they buy and from whom. In a scrap yard on any given day you will see a wide variety of characters coming in to sell their metals. Trucks of all shapes and sizes, soccer mom mini vans full of cans, people pushing shopping carts full of siding, people with scrap on bicycles and people on foot with buckets of copper to name a few. It will remind you of some scene from a crazy “End of the World” movie but once you know your way around it is actually fun.

In most homes in the USA, I could walk around and pick up in 20 minutes $100 in scrap that owner would be happy to pay me $20 to haul away. Ride down any street that has curbs side rubbish pickup on their allotted day and you will see hundreds if not thousands of dollars in scrap metal all heading for a landfill. I always tell people “Would you throw a twenty dollar bill in the trash?” the answer is always NO, “So why would you throw out those copper pots?”

In my next post I’ll get into what you need and what to look for. Feel free to respond to posts with questions……

How to scrap metal is Free to all