This week we continue our examination of common scrap metals by uncovering seven unusual facts about copper.

1. Copper plays a key role in the human body

An adult human body contains between 1.4 and 2.1mg of copper per kg. Copper is a trace dietary mineral that can be found in the muscle, liver and bone. Foods rich in this trace mineral include broccoli, almonds, chocolate, soybeans, garlic, peas, seafood and whole wheat products.

2. The word copper comes from the Latin word ‘aes cyprium’

Aes cyprium means “metal of Cyprus” and refers to the island where copper was mined during the Roman era.

3. It is the oldest metal worked by man

Humans have been working copper for almost 8,000 years and utilized native copper created by naturally occurring chemical reactions. The oldest copper object (and therefore the oldest metal object) ever found is a tiny awl (leather working tool) dating back around 6,000 years to sometime between 5100 and 4600 B.C. Modern humans discovered how to smelt copper in about 4500 B.C, this marked the beginning of the Bronze Age.

4. Copper is antimicrobial

It can kill bacteria, viruses and yeasts upon contact by disrupting the electrical charge of cell membranes. These properties have made copper a popular area of research in the medical field and is currently being tested to see if it can reduce the microbial burden in a hospital environment and thus reduce instances of infection.

5. Ancient Egyptians made copper makeup

Copper played an integral part in the daily beauty routine of Egyptians, who not only used copper to create personal care implements such as razors and mirrors, but also used copper compounds malachite and azurite to produce vibrant green and blue eye makeup.

6. Early electrical engineering would have been impossible without copper

The scientists who were pioneers in electricity relied heavily on copper as a transmitter due to it’s high conductivity properties.

7. The Statue of Liberty contains 81,000 tons of copper

This iconic statue is covered in 80 tons of green verdigris (the green colour produced when copper is exposed to water and air) which is only 0.12 millimetres thick. Originally the statue was copper coloured and only became green in 1920, 34 years after it was constructed.

Metal Men Recycling accept all grades of copper and offer cash for metal scrap of all kinds. Contact us today by calling 03 5941 6677.

If you live in Melbourne, then it might seem a bit ridiculous to you that you have three separate kinds of waste collection (and three separate bins to match) and yet there are still some things you can’t just roll out onto the front of your curb and be done with. Unfortunately, the reality of waste disposal and recycling is more complex than just dividing things up into general waste, green waste and recycling bins and in fact, the way that you dispose of certain things can have an impact on both the environment and human health. In this article, we take a look at four common household items which require special care when disposing of.

Batteries

Although some councils have begun allowing low mercury alkaline batteries to be thrown out with household waste, generally speaking, batteries of any kind should not be thrown into the bin. Batteries contain heavy metals, acid and lead which can leach from landfills and pose a threat to both the environment and human health. Whilst some scrap collectors like Metal Men Recycling accept car batteries, in most instances, they need to be disposed of at a hazardous household waste collection point.

Appliances

Household appliances contain a whole host of potentially harmful substances including refrigerants, HCFCs, CFCs, HFCs, mercury, and insulating foams, so they shouldn’t be placed into landfill. If they’re still function, investigate donating your old appliances to a charity. Broken down units are an abundant source of metal, so scrap metal buyers around Melbourne including Metal Men, will give you cash for them and even provide a pickup service.

Adhesives and glues

If they are disposed of whilst in a liquid state, adhesives and glues can contaminate the environment with solvents and toxic chemicals. If you only need to dispose of a small amount of glue or adhesive, simply open the container and allow it to dry out before throwing out, or spread out thin layers of adhesive on cardboard or newspaper until the amount left in the container is depleted enough to dry out on it’s own. Larger amounts will need to be disposed of at a hazardous household waste collection point.

Light bulbs

Light bulbs aren’t made of the same glass that food jars and bottles are made of, so they can never be recycled. If you have a broken light bulb, carefully wrap it in newspaper and place it in your general waste bin. However, if you have an intact bulb, CFL, fluorescent tube, of metal halides, then it’s possible to dispose of these through a specialised lighting recycling program. These programs recycle the lighting to recover valuable materials such as mercury, ceramic, glass, aluminium and phosphor which would otherwise go into landfill and in the case of mercury, pose a threat to the environment and humans.

 

 

One of the higher paying scrap metals, brass can actually be more profitable to hunt down than copper, as it is often used to create heavy fittings, pipes and casings whilst copper typically is used sparingly and therefore often takes a lot of time to collect a sellable amount. In this article, we take a look at a few choice spots to hit up if you want to turn a profit scrapping brass.

Central heating and air conditioning

HVAC projects aare one of the eaisiest places to source brass as old brass furnaces, radiators and water heaters are often an abundant source of this metal. Ideally, you’ll want to develop a relationship with a local HVAC business that regularly replaces old systems. Try offering free rubbish removal from their project sites in exchange for scrap.

Junk shops and flea markets

Brass has long been used as a decorative metal due to it’s warm, rosy tone, durability and relatively low cost. As a result, it’s not all that hard to source old brass fittings, plates, candlesticks, trophies, light fittings, bed frames, door knobs and decorative items in a junk shop or flea market for a pittance. Brass can become quite discoloured over time, so it’s important to really look carefully and be able to recognise the metal in it’s tarnished state.

Plumbing

For most of the 19^th and 20^th centuries, brass was a key material used in plumbing systems and there are still plenty of old houses around Melbourne with brass pipes and fittings which will eventially need to be replaced. Just like with the HVAC scrap, the best way to get your hands on brass plumbing is to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with a local plumber in your area.

Shooting ranges

Brass bullet casings are an abundant source of this precious scrap metal, so it’s well worth developing a relationship with your local range manager to see if you can organise shell collection at the end of each day or week.

As far as scrap metal buyers in Melbourne go, Metal Men are one the best companies to turn to if you’re looking to make some money from your scrap heap. We take all kinds of scrap metal and guarantee a fair price for whatever you happen to bring in. To learn more about our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 03 5941 6677.

Metal is a vital resource to the progression and survival of humanity, but the earth contains a finite number of the raw materials needed to make these and at some point, we are going to run out. In this article, we take a look at exactly what peak metal is, and what that means for Australia, the world, and the scrap metal industry.

What is peak metal?

The idea of a resource ‘peaking’ was first put forward in the 1950’s by an American geoscientist who used it to describe the point where the maximum rate of petrol extraction would be reached in America. Lately, a number of Australian scientists have hypothesized that the same thing is likely to happen in our own country and eventually around the world, but this time with metal. Like oil, all metals are a finite resource which are either dug out of the earth in a raw mineral state and then refined, or mined in their elemental form.

When will peak metal occur?

Admittedly, given that the earth’s crust is made up of 32% iron, it’s unlikely that we would run out of the raw materials necessary to make steel any time in the near future. However, there are a number of other precious elements and minerals like gold, zinc, copper and silver, which are predicted to peak by the end of the century. Putting a timeline on when a particular metal will peak is hard, as there are many small mineral and element deposits around the world which simply aren’t economically viable to mine, but this could change in the future if the value of the metals goes up.

What happens if we do encounter mineral shortages?

Interestingly enough, the world already dealt with shortages of the mineral cryolite in the 1980s. Cryolite used to play a crucial role in aluminium production, but when the last viable deposit was mined in Greenland, researchers were able to find a new way of producing aluminium which didn’t necessitate this mineral.

Of course, science is not going to be able to replace the function of every mineral as it’s availability depletes, and this is where metal recycling will become even more important. Unlike oil, metal is recyclable, and in the future as minerals and elements become more scarce and mining becomes less economically (and environmentally) viable, metal recycling will come to play a central role in the way we source metals for our endlessly growing needs.

Metal Men offer scrap metal pick up in Melbourne and pay fair prices for a wide range of materials. Get in touch with us today by calling 03 5941 6677.

Even those with a rudimentary understanding of metal value know that copper is the holy grail of scrap finds. Although the scrap price of copper far outstrips all of the other metals, it’s one of the hardest to find and in this article, we uncover some of the best places to (legally) source scrap copper.

Old houses

Although PVC pipe is now the standard material used in household plumbing, there are plenty of old houses around the state that still use copper pipes. The best way to go about retrieving copper pipes is to get in contact with local plumbers so that they can let you know the next time they are removing it from an older property.

Thrift stores

Throughout the 20^th century, different grades of copper were popularly used in a wide range of household products. If you walk into your local opportunity shop, chances are you’ll be presented with a veritable treasure trove of copper pots, pans, ornaments, utensils and furniture all available at rock bottom prices.

Auto parts

Car starters and alternators are both fantastic sources of scrap copper. Make sure you go to an auto yard that allows you to pick out your own second hand parts and buy them individually.

Roofing

Copper roofing aspects are a popular way of extending the lifespan of a roof and they are often discarded during remodelling projects. The best way to retrieve copper scrap is to get in contact with roofing contractors and offer to get rid of their scrap.

Household appliances

Almost all small and large household appliances have some copper wire in them and it’s relatively easy to extract. Refrigerators, stoves, and air conditioners in particular are great sources of copper as they require a larger power supply and therefore tend to contain thick insulated copper wire.

Computers and TVs

Television and computer monitors, as well as desktop towers are a fantastic source of insulated copper wires, but you have to take them out yourself as scrap yards don’t commonly accept the whole unit due to the time required to separate out the metals. Taking apart computer towers and monitors is relatively easy, and once you get in there, there’s plenty of insulated copper wire, connectors, and ribbon that you can remove with just a pair of standard paper scissors.

Metal Men Recycling are the premier scrap metal buyers in Melbourne. We offer a fair price for a wide range of scrap metal including all grades of copper. Get in touch with us today by calling 03 5941 6677.

By now you probably know about common places you can look to find scrap metal around your home and business. Appliances, cars, renovation projects and electronics are all great places to find metal but at some point, your personal scrap sources are going to run dry and if you’ve caught the scrapping bug, chances are you don’t want to stop making money off scrap metal. In this article, we take a look at some of the more unorthodox places to find sellable scrap.

1. Illegal dumping sites
   Urban and rural areas around Melbourne are littered with illegal dumping sites that careless people use to dispose of their refuse. Industrial neighbourhood, empty lots, and urban bushland are all commonly used as dumping sites and picking through these can turn up an abundance of scrap from appliances, car bodies, and general metal refuse.
2. Shooting ranges
   Melbourne isn’t a place you would ordinarily associate with gun recreation but in fact there are more than ten shooting ranges within an hour of the city. Shooting ranges are a great place to source valuable brass scrap, but it will involve getting in touch with the operator and negotiating a free clean-up service in exchange for the metal refuse.
3. Tradesmen
   If you’re serious about making cash from scrap metal, then it’s worth developing some business connections with tradesmen in your local area. Plumbers, air conditioning technicians and electricians discard tons of scrap metal in the course of their work, so it’s well worth offering a free clean-up service or getting them to tip you off when they’re working on a project with a lot of scrap.
4. Construction sites
   Construction sites of all scales are a fantastic source of scrap but it is crucial that you have written permission prior to removing any scrap or refuse from a site as without it you run the risk of being accused of trespassing and theft.
5. Medical care services
   Hospitals, aged care and assisted living centres, medical clinics and doctor’s offices are all great places to source a wide range of scrap metal in the form of bedframes, wheelchairs, walkers, obsolete machinery, and fixtures. The best way to gain access to a medical care faculty’s scrap is to meet with the administrator and offer to provide free scrap pickup and removal services in exchange for the metal refuse.

Metal Men Recycling are the premier scrap metal buyers in Melbourne and we’ll pay a fair price for your scrap. Get in touch with us today by calling 03 5941 6677.

Contrary to popular belief, scrap metal is a fascinating subject and no one knows this better than the team at Metal Men Recycling. This week, we’ve dug deep into the archives to find three unconventional stories about scrapping and recycling which are guaranteed to fascinate even the most jaded of readers.

Scrap metal played a major role in Britain’s war effort…. maybe

During World War II, Londoners took part in an enormous scrap metal drive where the iron doors and railings surrounding parks, houses, shops, and public buildings was taken away to be melted down and made into munitions, aircraft and tanks. Almost everything metal was rationed during this time and there were scrap drives to collect everything from aluminium pots and pans through to copper ornaments. The general consensus amongst historians however, is that a lot of the metal collected, particularly the iron, was never recycled as weapons of war and that instead, the drive was an elaborate propaganda scheme designed to keep the citizen’s morale high. The fate of all the scrapped metal is also subject to conjecture. Popular theories include that it was dumped in the Thames, that is was used as ship ballast for vessels leaving the Port of London, or that is was shipped overseas to Nigeria and Guyana.

A conman sold the Eiffel Tower to scrappers, twice

In 1925 a con man called Victor Lustig invited six scrap metal dealers to a confidential meeting at a hotel to discuss the Eiffel Tower, which was well known to be in a state of disrepair and extremely expensive to maintain. Lustig introduced himself as a government official and told the businessmen that the city of Paris could no longer afford the upkeep of the then 26 year old monument and that he had been instructed to sell it as scrap metal. Next, he took the group of men in a limousine to view the tower (and so he could see which businessman was the most gullible and vulnerable) and told them to submit their bids the next day, emphasising that it was a state secret. The next day, Lustig managed to extract money for the Eiffel Tower but also a large cash bribe from a man named Andre Poisson who after Lustig escaped, was too embarrassed to go to the police.

Lustig tried to pull off the same con a month later but the businessman he chose to sell to this time took the counterfeit documents to the police before the deal was closed. Surprisingly, Lustig escaped and went on to con famous American mob boss Al Capone.

Ancient Egyptians had no qualms about recycling graves

Whilst this is not technically a story about metal scrapping exclusively, it’s an interesting historical footnote nonetheless. In ancient Egypt, the elaborate funerary processes and afterlife preparations which the culture is famous for were actually part of an illicit coffin recycling trade. Recent research suggests that many coffins were made with pieces of older coffins which had been extracted by tomb robbers. Tomb robbing was incredibly common in ancient Egypt and the scarcity of the materials which were lavished upon the dead like metal, gemstones and wood meant that the trade in recycled coffins was quite lucrative.

We all know recycling is important, but often the message of just how important it is, and how big a difference an individual contribution can make is underplayed. To help you get a better idea of just how much recycling (even on a small scale) can benefit the planet, we’ve put together a list of 10 insightful facts about scrap metal recycling.

1. 1. Aluminium was only discovered in 1825
      Although it was only discovered 191 years ago, it is the most abundant metal available on earth and highly recyclable. About two thirds of all the aluminium that has ever been produced is still in circulation.
   2. Recycling just one aluminium can saves a lot of energy
      The energy saved from recycling just a single aluminium can could be used to continuously run a 100-watt light bulb for around 20 hours, a television for two hours, and a computer for three hours.
   3. Steel is the world’s most recycled material
      It can be recycled infinitely without deteriorating and recycling steel consumes around 60% less energy than it takes to manufacture virgin steel from iron ore. It is thought that almost every steel product on the modern market contains at least some recycled steel.
   4. Scrapping your car saves tons of raw material
      Giving your car to the scrapyard instead of the junkyard saves around55 kg of limestone, 635kg of coal, and 1134kg of iron ore; that’s nearly two tonnes of raw material!
   5. It takes between 200 and 500 years for an aluminium beer can to decompose
      But in 2010, Australian’s only recycled some 67.4% of the 3 billion aluminium cans they used.
   6. Australians waste a lot of steel
      It is estimated that every year, Australians send enough steel to landfill to make 40,000 fridges. Steel cans, cars, and old or broken appliances are some of the most common things we throw away instead of recycle.
   7. But we’re still one of the most prolific recyclers of household waste
      98% of Australian households are reported to participate in some form of recycling. This means a waste diversion rate of over 40% which is higher than that of Canada, England, and the United States.
   8. 98% of a car battery is recyclable
      But despite this, around 90% of batteries are not recovered and this is a problem because batteries that are sent to landfill release all kinds of pollutants which threaten both the environment and human health.
   9. It takes just 60 days to put a recycled aluminium can back on the shelf
      Aluminium cans are generally part of closed loop recycling where the recycled product is turned into the same thing once again. The closed loop means that it takes just two months for the metal to be recycled, repurposed, and placed back on the supermarket shelf.
   10. The US is one of the world’s most prolific copper recyclers
       In fact the amount of copper recycled in the US every year could be cast into 25,000 Statues of Liberty.

If you’re looking for a place to get cash for scrap metal in Melbourne, look no further than Metal Men. We offer 24-hour pickup and will take any amount or type of metal including car batteries. Call us today on 03 5941 6677.

At Metal Men Recycling, we’re all about helping our clients get rid of their unwanted scrap in an environmentally conscious way. Although we specialise in recycling metal, we recognise that there are plenty of other recyclable objects lying around the average Australian household that more often than not, go to waste. In this article, we look at 5 easy ways you can add a little flair to your home through upcycling.

1. A tyre becomes a dog bed
   If you have a small dog, then this pet bed is a unique way to ensure they stay cosy through the winter months. Make sure you thoroughly clean the tyre out before painting it to remove any chemical residue and ensure the surface is primed for painting.

2. A washing machine drum becomes a planter
   Washing machine drums are made from stainless steel so they are ideal for repurposing as planters outside. Pre-paint the drum if you wish using weatherproof paint, then set it on a base of bricks before filling it up with soil and compost. Finally, plant in some of your favourite flowers, veggies or herbs.

3. Corks become miniature succulent magnets
   If you enjoy a glass of wine or two, you’ll doubtlessly have a few corks rolling around in your kitchen. This succulent and cork magnet project is a great way to keep corks out of landfill and add a little bit of green to your kitchen space.

4. Colanders become light diffusers
   Sure, colanders are handy for draining your pasta and boiled veggies but they can also be upcycled as dramatic light fixtures. The perforated holes in the colander create a stunning speckled lighting effect and the wide lipped bowl shape will make a bold sculptural statement in your home.

5. A pallet becomes a coffee table
   Pallets are probably the most popular object for upcycling at the moment and there are dozens of pallet furniture design patterns to be found online. However for speed and ease, you can’t go past this elegant coffee table design.

Metal Men Recycling offer cash for metal and 24-hour pickup around Melbourne. To learn more about the range of services we offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team by calling 03 5941 6677.

Scrap metal collecting is a fantastic way to clean up your home or business, make a little extra money, and do your bit for the environment. If you’re thinking of dabbling in a little scrap metal collecting, then here are four handy tips to keep in mind.

Know your metals

One of the best pieces of advice to take on board if you’re an aspiring scrapper is to know your metals. Not all metals are made equal and bigger isn’t always better when it comes to collecting. Copper, aluminium, brass and steel are the most commonly scrapped metals and of these, copper is by far the most valuable due to it’s scarcity. Although you’re unlikely to find copper in any great quantities, the scrap price that copper wire, guttering and plumbing can fetch far outstrips what you’ll get for bringing in even twice that weight in stainless steel.

Take a magnet

Magnets are an incredibly valuable tool when scrap collecting as they are a sure fire way to tell the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The magnet will stick to ferrous metals contain iron and tend to fetch a lower price than non ferrous metals like aluminium, brass, copper and lead.

Understand grading

Scrap metal comes in different grades and fetches different prices depending on the alloy composition, the state of wear, and the amount of work that needs to be put into the metal in order to recycle it. Almost all metals come in different classes with the purest metals being the most valuable. Copper for example comes in three different grades, which fetch radically different prices.

Keep an eye on metal values

Want to know when you’ve got enough to turn a profit? The best way to do this is to keep an eye on the market price for industrial metals on a  site like Kitco. Although these don’t reflect scrap metal prices, or what you will be paid for lower grade or dirty materials, they can give you an idea of the current market value of the scrap you’ve collected, and can be used as a bargaining tool.

Once you’ve collected enough metal to make some money, bring your scrap to Metal Men Recycling. As Melbourne’s premier scrap metal buyers, we’ll offer you a fair price for your metal. To learn more about our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 03 5941 6677.

Copper and brass are probably the two the most commonly confused metals. Although they are formed from the same base element, brass and copper have significantly different uses and properties. In this article, we answer some of the most common queries about copper and brass.

What’s the difference?

Copper is a base metal and chemical element which is leached from copper ore in the ground. Soft and malleable, copper is prized for it’s high thermal conductivity and is thought to be the first metal ever used by man. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc in a ratio of around 65:35. The zinc makes brass a more rigid and durable material which is harder to cast and mould than copper, but has a much broader range of uses.

How can I identify them?

The most obvious way to tell the difference between copper and brass is colour; copper is typically a rich reddish brown whilst brass has more of a metal colour due to it’s zinc content. When copper corrodes, it turns a vibrant green colour, whilst brass tends to produce a dark brown colour after corrosion has taken place. The sound that the metals make when struck is the second easiest way to tell whether you have copper or brass; copper makes a round, mellow sound whilst the sound produced from brass will be higher pitch. In some cases, brass products are marked with a C and five numbers, whilst copper is almost never branded.

What are they used for?

Copper is most commonly used in fine electrical wiring for buildings and motor vehicles. Because of it’s attractive colour, copper is also a popular decorative choice and is also used in kitchenware due to it’s high heat conductivity. Due to it’s durability and similar colouring to copper, brass is often used in decorative detailing that also has a functional purpose. Common examples include zippers, doorknobs, and locks. Brass also has plenty of purely practical applications including in bullet casings, valves, and plumbing.

Which is worth more in the scrap industry?

Copper is one of the most highly prized metals in the scrap industry due to it’s rarity and the energy intensive processes required to extract it. Because of this, the scrap price of copper tends to be around 30% higher than that of brass.

Metal Men Recycling offer scrap metal pickup throughout Melbourne and pay fair prices for your unwanted copper and brass. Get in touch with us on 03 5941 6677 to learn more about our services.

 

Collecting scrap can be a great way to earn a little bit of extra cash but there are risks involved that need to be considered. Scrap metal is often rusted, has sharp edges, or is located situated alongside other potentially hazardous materials. In this article, we discuss four simple ways to can safely collect scrap.

Wear appropriate safety equipment

Aged and rusting metal can be a hazardous material in of itself and it’s important to ensure you properly protect yourself with clothing that covers your skin, work boots, googles, and thick gloves. It’s also sensible to check that your tetanus vaccination is up to date (it’s recommended that you have a booster shot every ten years) as puncture wounds from mental are one of the most common causes of this condition and treatment is more complicated than prevention.

Make sure you clean any chemical residue off your skin

Often where there is an abundant source of scrap metal (old motor vehicles, disused factories, rundown sheds etc.), hazardous chemicals are also present. Wearing protective clothing is the first defence against these hazardous chemicals but it’s also important to ensure you thoroughly wash your hands, arms and any other exposed areas of skin with soapy water after collecting the scrap to remove any residue. If you suffer injuries or irritation as a result of coming into contact with chemicals whilst collecting scrap, seek medical help immediately.

Take care of your back

Back injuries are one of the most common injuries amongst scrap metal collectors and they generally occur when the weight of the metal is underestimated or it is improperly lifted. As a general rule, avoid lifting anything that is more than half your weight, have a partner help you lift and distribute the weight for heavier or bulkier pieces of metal, and above all, life with your knees rather than your back. If it’s possible, using a mechanical aid like a dolly can also reduce your chances of injury or strain related to carrying heavy objects over a distance.

Use appropriate equipment when transporting

If you do need to transport your collected scrap somewhere, then it’s crucial that you tie it down properly using a tarp and ratchet or octopus strap.

Metal Men Recycling offer cash for scrap metal in Melbourne. We offer a fair price for all recyclable scrap and a free 24-hour pickup service.