3 Things You Didn’t Know About Scrap Metal

Scrap Metal

Rebirth is something religions discuss in the context of an afterlife. We may not know what happens to people after they die, but we know what happens to the metal!

Recycling materials is a crucial way to avoid waste and make the most out of it. You may put some recyclables in your blue box weekly, but the scrap metal industry operates continuously to take reusing to a whole other level.

Let’s check out a few exciting facts you didn’t know about scrapping metal!

Not All Metal is the Same

When people put recyclables into the blue box, they don’t have to categorize the materials differently. Scrap metal is different in that the metals get divided based on their properties and composition.

Industry leaders like Canada Iron divide metals into ferrous and non-ferrous categories but accept both. Ferrous metals contain iron, and non-ferrous metals don’t. Ferrous metals include steel, cast iron, stainless steel, stoves, appliances, microwaves, rotors, and more.

Non-ferrous metals include copper, brass, aluminum, cable, transformers, catalytic converters, molybdenum, tungsten carbide, batteries, and others. Scrapyard experts know these materials inside and out because they work with them every day, even if they sound new to you.

Metal Types Are Old News

Terms like “non-ferrous” might be new to you, but the distinctions between metals are centuries old and played a huge role in developing civilization! 

Non-ferrous metals have been in use since the early days of civilization back in 5,000 BC. The discovery of copper marked the beginning of the Copper Age and the end of the Stone Age. The idea of combining metals to forge new alloys was revolutionary, and today we use it in a wide number of applications. 

Ferrous metals are the basis of shipping containers, industrial piping, railroad tracks, automobile manufacturing, and more. Basically, non-ferrous metals started a great age of civilization, and its counterpart continues to blaze new trails.

You May Have Materials You Can Scrap

Many of the customers at scrap yards are industrial traders dealing with large volumes of metals, but they also welcome private residents. Your home may have old materials that you could reuse profitably instead of just discarding them in the city’s recycling system.

Maybe it’s an old metal railing you’re replacing or some other construction material. It could be anything, from batteries to copper piping and more. 

Don’t be intimidated by a scrapyard! Before you go, do some basic prep by sorting the metals into ferrous and non-ferrous piles. Use a magnet to tell the difference. If the magnet sticks to the metal, you know it’s ferrous. Call them, so you know what they accept. 

The value proposition becomes more compelling the more you have and the closer you live to the scrapyard, but consider this option before dumping what could be valuable into the blue box.

Scrapyards are where old materials go to get a new life. If you can make some money by decluttering your home in the most productive way possible, you might as well!