Answers to 2 Commonly Asked Questions About Scrap Metal Recycling

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Metal recycling has become increasingly popular because of the financial and environmental incentive that it provides. Scrap metals can be recycled countless times, which saves natural resources and energy required when manufacturing new products. It also saves money, allowing new products to be more affordable to consumers. This article discusses two interesting aspects of scrap metal recycling for those who are interested in pursuing the trade.

1. Why do scrap yards have minimum requirements for steel and iron?

Iron, steel and other ferrous metals (alloys containing iron) are the least valuable metals worldwide. This means that they must be acquired, transported and/or sold in bulk for the yards to make it cost-effective. You should also consider that steel and iron are heavier than many other metals, and so they use up considerable resources in labour and equipment, both during storage and transportation.

Because of these reasons, you'll probably find that most scrap yards that buy steel and iron weigh by the ton rather than kilograms, which means that you won't make much out of the transaction if you don't exceed the minimum weight requirements. Some yards don't have the equipment required to move steel/iron scrap, and so they must accumulate sufficient amounts to warrant getting the equipment. Smaller yards will often deal with only non-ferrous metals for this reason. Check the type of scrap metals accepted at a yard beforehand to avoid disappointment when you're ready to deliver your scrap items. You can collect items from neighbours, friends and elsewhere until you meet the minimum requirement.

2. Why do scrap metal prices keep changing?

You may notice that the value of your scrap changes according to the oil prices within your region, for instance. The simple reason for this is that oil prices affect almost everything on the market because most things use oil directly (i.e., as part of raw materials) or indirectly (e.g., during transportation, machinery used, etc.) in their production/manufacture. Therefore, you can expect small shifts in the price of your scrap because of increases and decreases in transportation costs, which is a major part of the recycling process.

On a larger scale, scrap metal is a commodity that's used to build infrastructure and machinery, which means that it has greater demand that your average commodities. Some governments use scrap metals to improve infrastructure, and this makes it more valuable in those countries.

You must also remember there are political and economic factors involved. For instance, some countries/states/localities may temporarily ban the purchase and sale of scrap by individuals. This happens when vandalism rises as people remove legitimate structures to sell off as scrap. At these times, you can usually drop your recyclable scrap at scrap yards, but you won't earn anything for them.

Finally, the price of certain metals are controlled by stock markets based on global players, and so these prices will shift based on those market forces. You should research the current scrap prices in your region to know when the best time to dispose of your scrap materials is.

To learn more, contact companies like Brisbane Scrap Metal Recycling PTY LTD.

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5 January 2018

Steve's Recycling and Scrap Metal Blog

Hello, my name is Steve and this is my recycling blog. Up until last year, I presumed that recycling was just to do with putting plastic and glass into different bins from your general waste. However, when I bought a secondhand industrial unit, I discovered large amounts of metal which had been abandoned by the previous owner. I wasn't sure what to do but my friend suggested I take it to a specialist scrap yard so it could be recycled. The guys at the recycling yard were really friendly and explained how they take all kinds of different metals and recycle them for future use. I hope you enjoy my blog.