Scrap Recycling: 4 Things You Must Do Before Visiting The Recycling Centre

Many Australians embrace the recycling industry to raise extra cash and be environmentally conscious. Metal recycling, for example, is a $4 billion industry in Australia. Every person can recycle scrap metal from their home, business or farm once those metal products cease being useful. However, recycling metal is not as simple as chucking scrap on a trailer and hauling it down to the recycling centre. Here are four points to remember if you decide to recycle scrap metal items.

Safety First

Always wear thick, industrial gloves when handling old metal. This advice is essential if the metal has rusty sharp edges. Any dirty metal which cuts the body may result in a tetanus shot to ensure an infection does not develop. Steel-toe boots are also a good investment if you plan to recycle regularly. This type of boot protects your feet from damage such as cuts or being crushed if you drop a metal item while putting it in its sorting pile.

Separate To Earn More

Scrap metal has a different value depending on its type. If you take a pile of scrap metal to a recycling centre, the component majority of the scrap recycled determines the rate paid to you. However, if you separate the metal into different kinds, you are paid the value of each type of metal. Therefore, this separation effort earns you more money.

Use A Magnet

One of the easiest ways to sort your piles is using a magnet. A magnet sticks to iron-based material, which helps you separate the metal into iron and non-iron based material. As mentioned above, each type of metal has a different price point.

Watch The Market

Keeping watch of the current market price for recycled metal ensures you get the best price possible. Scrap metal price fluctuates depending on availability. When there is a lot of metal turned in, the price dips lower. Then scarcity of metal raises the price. Call your recycling centre twice a month to get an update on what the current price is. Then, after charting the peaks and troughs for a couple of months, you can know when it is best to turn in your metal stash.

Using these four tips, you may now begin your foray into the scrap metal recycling world. Not only will you be adding the environmentally-conscious feather to your cap, but you will also earn a little extra cash along the way.

Reach out to a recycling centre for more information.