Looking to clean the home before the new year? As experts in metal recycling in Melbourne, our team know everything that can be recycled around the home. Recyclable metals include aluminium, copper, stainless steel and brass, so it’s easy to protect the environment from needlessly sending scrap to landfills. Before you throw away the mystery metal, be sure to check this handy list to see if the scrap metal can be recycled (for profit).

Kitchen appliances and whitegoods

Whether you’re downsizing or upgrading, older whitegoods and pots and pans made from aluminium or cast iron are perfect contenders for scrap metal recycling. Keep in mind that it costs less time and energy to recycle the materials in old whitegoods than to produce new ones from virgin materials. Whether it’s donating old cutlery to an op shop or offering baking trays and cookware to a metal recycler, recyclable materials like aluminium, iron or copper wires can be sourced from a variety of old and broken kitchen appliances.

Old whitegoods like kettles, toasters, refrigerators and dishwashers that need replacement can be stripped for recyclable material while washing machines and dryers also contain plenty of scrap metal for metal recyclers. Even older ovens and stovetops are often made from iron, perfect for metal recyclers in Melbourne.

Common kitchen clutter

A common kitchen item, empty steel cans can be easily disposed of in the household recycling bin for easy collection. This includes empty aerosol cans like cleaning sprays or aluminium or mixed metal cans such as soft drink cans, vegetable and fruit tins and pet food tins. Before placing these cans in the recycling bin for collection, ensure they are empty by giving them a thorough rinse. Removing any remaining food or liquid residue will ensure that the metal can be processed appropriately without risking contamination, which can increase sorting costs or risk recyclable materials being sent to landfill.

Simply swilling water around the tins will often suffice so that they appear visually clean, so there is no need to go overboard with dishwashing detergent! Additionally, Sustainability Victoria offers a free program, Detox your Home, to dispose of toxic household chemicals like cleaning products, fertilisers and herbicides, fuels and poisons. 

E-waste and older machinery

With recycling programs for old phones, cartridges and used batteries, there’s no excuse to forget the older electronics like desktops, gaming consoles and iPods. In Melbourne, e-waste is banned from landfill, so If there is an electronics graveyard within your home of broken laptops, obsolete mobile phones or old hairdryers, this might be a swift move to declutter your home.

Electronics are often constructed from a mix of recyclable metals with wiring made from copper – a highly recyclable material as almost 80% of copper that has ever been produced is still in use today. By following the guide to e-waste and recycling metal, you minimise the environmental impact of the product by extending the metal’s lifetime and reducing the need to mine virgin metals. 

Older furniture and fittings

Renovations can also reveal plenty of metal recycling opportunities! Old bed frames, outdoor dining furniture and clothing racks can be constructed from a metal mix that could be recycled, even if it is coated in a decorative paint or lacquer. Bicycle frames, elevated garden beds, barbecue grills and old garden tools are also constructed from metal, so don’t simply allow them to rust in the backyard!

Refreshing your home with a renovation can also provide an opportunity to gather older pipes, excess copper wire, steel sinks, obsolete tapware and metal finishes like curtain rods or window frames to be sold as scrap metal. 

Interested in metal recycling in Melbourne?

With over 50 years of metal experience, Metal Men Recycling provides quick and simple metal recycling services to Melbourne. We take all the hard work of sorting and transporting out of the process with our streamlined 24-hour pick up service. We accept all types of scrap metal benefiting your business and the environment.

Whether you’re looking to declutter your home through metal recycling or would just like to learn more about the environmental benefits of metal recycling, give us a call on 03 5941 6677 or fill out our online contact form.

One of the many reasons to sell scrap metal at a trusted metal recycler like Metal Men Recycling is the environmental benefits of recycling scrap metal over mining virgin ore. In Australia, there are currently over 400 mines in operation with two predominant processes of mining: underground mines and open pit mines. These processes both have environmental consequences, so improving the lifetime of any unwanted metal is one of the many ways scrap metal recycling benefits the environment.

Underground mines

When imagining a mine, many may picture the traditional, deep tunnel of underground mining. This requires a shaft or decline to be excavated into the ground, sometimes kilometres deep, for metalliferous and coal collection. This method is used to extract raw ore from deep below the surface, creating as little waste as possible, before transporting it for processing into useful metal materials. Although technology has improved since the older mining method of room and pillar mining, underground mining still has many associated dangers.

The deep tunnels must allow safe passage for workers and heavy machinery to transport waste ore and collected minerals while also providing ventilation, electricity, lighting and resources. Underground mines must also consider the health and safety of workers including hearing protection, respiratory protection from dust, safe machinery operation and structural protection against the risk of collapse.

There are many different methods of underground mining in Australia depending on ore depth and the structural integrity of the surrounds. Underground mining often involves drilling beneath or beside the ore, blasting the ore and collecting the raw ore and waste material for transport. Some of the underground mining techniques used in Australia include:

• Sub level caving: This method involves drilling directly into the ore and drilling horizontal sub levels, blasting each level at a time and excavating the demolished ore. 
• Block caving: A large-scale metalliferous mining method, block caving involves creating an artificial cavern below an ore body and allowing it to collapse under its own weight. 
• Cut and fill mining: This method can be quite costly due to the refilling process. Cut and fill mining involves cutting and excavating the ore with controlled detonations before filling the voids with waste rock or cement.

Surface mining 

Open pit mines are more common when a high concentration of minerals or ores are located close to the surface. This mining method involves drilling a large pit and blasting to remove the ore for processing. For surface mining, heavy machinery is necessary to remove the waste rock material so that the resource can be mined.

Open pit or open cut mining is generally considered cheaper and more cost-effective than traditional shaft mining as it requires fewer workers and can extract more ore. Open pit mines are also safer than shaft mines as there is no risk of cave-ins and they do not require the utility piping of underground operations.

The main disadvantages of open pit mining include the environmental damage caused by exhausting finite reserves and the associated costs of backfilling and restoring the pits. By creating the large, open pit the area is stripped of vegetation which damages the site’s natural ecosystem. After the open pit mine has been exhausted, further work is required to begin rehabilitating the area to minimise additional environmental damage and reduce the risk of landslides and rockslides if the destabilised site is left unattended.

This requires fencing off the land to prevent access for a period and filling the put with waste to ensure the land is safe for future use. Although this lessens the environmental impact of disrupting the pristine landscape, this lengthy process of blasting and hauling away the minerals and ore before refilling the pit uses an intensive amount of energy and electricity. This produces carbon emissions which causes air pollution and contributes to global warming.

Why is selling scrap metal more economical? 

Recycling scrap metal helps the environment while saving you money and reducing waste around the house or business. By selling scrap metal and contributing to the process of recycling and repurposing brass, tin, copper or aluminium, you conserve the energy needed to mine, refine and transport virgin metals and lessen the greenhouse gases produced during this lengthy process.

Many metals can be recycled and used again indefinitely. A more sustainable choice, increasing the rates of metal recycling has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 300-500 million tons allowing scrap metal to have a positive effect on air pollution. Additionally, recycling scrap iron around the home avoids metals from ending up in landfills and waste after the costly mining process. By selling scrap metal to trusted recyclers, you improve the longevity of the material and take steps towards making the mining process more economical and environmentally friendly.

Are you looking to sell scrap metal in Melbourne?

If you’d like to sell scrap metal in your home or business, consider the expert team at Metal Men Recycling in Melbourne. With our streamlined 24-hour pick-up service, we offer the best prices on the market for scrap metals including aluminium, copper, stainless steel and brass. Our reliable team is ready to cater to your metal recycling needs and recycle your unwanted waste with a free bin service for your scrap metal drop-offs.

Whether you’re looking to sell scrap metal or would just like to learn more about the process and environmental benefits of metal recycling, give us a call on 03 5941 6677 or fill out our online contact form.

With environmental awareness on the rise, many local councils throughout the state now offer recycling services for all your metal cans and containers. If you hosted a party over the weekend, you’ll likely toss a whole heap of empty cans into a recycling bin where it waits for its scheduled pick up. While recycling helps the environment, did you know you might be tossing money away just by throwing scrap cans into recycling bins? Instead, consider a scrap metal recycling centre such as Metal Men Recycling where you can sell scrap cans for cash.

What should I do with my scrap cans instead?

A common misconception with metal recycling is that it must come in large industrial containers for it to be accepted for cash. This, however, is not true. People are often unaware that many local metal recycling centres accept scrap cans of any amount from anyone.

So, instead of putting your scrap cans and containers into a recycling bin, a better idea would be to sell your scrap cans. You can stash them away until you are ready to take your collection to someone who will pay you top dollar. The next time you finish your favourite canned beverage, think twice before throwing the can into the bin.

Why should I bother?

Most scrap cans in your house will likely be made of aluminium which is 100% recyclable. Unfortunately, close to one million cans find their way into landfills every year instead of recycling centres that put them back into circulation.

Selling your scrap cans to a recycling facility can contribute to a reduction of waste and mining impacts. When mining for any mineral, the water, and soil of the mined area is often left contaminated and difficult to restore. Acid run-offs from mines can dissolve heavy metals such as copper and mercury which can leach into water sources while sediments of non-biodegradable metals settle into the surrounding soil, harming both humans and wildlife.

The production of metals used to make cans also requires a lot of electricity and produces greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide which contributes to global warming. Thus, selling your scrap cans instead of throwing them will not only make a tidy little profit for yourself but reduce your overall carbon footprint.

How do I collect and prepare scrap cans to sell?

A good first step is to look around your home and neighbourhood for scrap cans. Almost anything made of metal is worth something, especially if they are made from copper, brass, or aluminium. Once you’ve collected all the scrap cans available in your area, preparing them the right way is crucial to ensure your entire collection is deemed valuable.

Ensuring you have a sizeable collection often takes time, hence, making sure each can is properly cleaned before you store them is necessary. Sugary drinks or food residue left in cans can turn mouldy and attract insects and pests. Your local recycling centre will likely reject your collection if they find a massive infestation of creepy crawlies or unwanted growth that can contaminate other recyclable materials.

Scrap cans should also have their lids properly dealt with before being thrown into the pile. Metal lids should always be left on or inside the can, but plastic covers or ring joiners should be removed and recycled separately. As for labels, you need not worry about getting the adhesive off as recycling centres are usually happy to have these removed for you.

Another step you can take before selling your scrap cans is to crush each can. This not only saves you space (making it easier to transport to your local recycling centre) but sometimes also leads to a higher payout.

What sort of price can I get for scrap cans?

Metal Men Recycling is the best place to sell your scrap metal in Melbourne. We pride ourselves on making recycling your scrap metals easy and profitable. While states such as Victoria are looking to implement a standardised ten-cent scrap containers scheme for each scrap can, the value of scrap cans at recycling centres can change daily depending on market trends.

Estimating the exact value of all the scrap cans you intend to sell can be a difficult task. While it is possible to bring in cans as you use them, holding onto them until you’ve built a considerable collection is usually recommended. The amount you will receive ultimately depends on the total weight of your collection so a larger delivery will mean a nicer payday.

Melbourne scrap metal recyclers

If you’re not sure where or how to store your scrap cans before selling, here at Metal Men Recycling, we also offer free collection bins that you can keep on-site and a 24-hour team for pick up and pricing.

Give us a call on 03 5941 6677 today for more information on how you can collect and sell your scrap cans. Alternatively, you can also contact us by filling out our online enquiry form so one of our team members can get back to you ASAP.

As experts in metal recycling in Melbourne, Metal Men Recycling use X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to analyse collected scrap metal and sort them by materials. While metal recyclers once had to manually sort metals by hand, modern, portable XRF technology has allowed sorting to be more time-efficient and accurate, speeding up the recycling process and preventing recyclable materials from ending up in landfills. Although scrap metal recycling benefits the environment, this sorting technology does pose safety concerns for the operator so certain rules must be followed. Today, our experienced team will detail some of the safety tips that Metal Men Recycling follows to ensure that your scrap metal is sorted with care.

What is XRF technology?

Handheld x-ray fluorescence analysers are tools for elemental analysis. In the metal recycling industry, this technology is used to identify the metal and alloys of scrap metal by irradiating the sample material with x-rays which causes electrons to eject from the surface. This produces fluorescent x-rays to then be emitted by the unknown metal. The XRF scanner interprets the energy of the emissions and displays the composition of the metal, all without damaging the metal. XRF and LIBS technology have their advantages and disadvantages, but the XRF scanning technology’s use of low-level radiation requires some additional safety precautions.

1. Ensure operators have been trained to handle the technology safely

Firstly and most importantly, all operators should be given access to training on safe handling, operation and storage of the XRF analyser. With appropriate training, XRF analysers will only be used for the minimal amount of time needed to achieve the result and appropriate level of precision. By simply improving the operator’s efficiency you reduce the operator’s exposure time to radiation, creating a safer metal recycling process.

As the radiation beam is invisible to the human eye, the operator should be aware of the LED indicators that trigger when radiation is being produced. Always be cautious when the lights are flashing and do not use an XRF analyser with faulty LED indicators.

2. Shielding and PPE

Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) creates a shield between the operator and the radiation, once again reducing exposure to the minimal radiation of the beam of handheld, XRF analysers. Although most of the radiation beam is absorbed by the metal material, a small amount of scattered radiation escapes from the sample. Scattered radiation increases with samples that are low density or have low atomic mass, such as aluminium metal, and decreases with heavier samples such as iron-based metal alloys. 

Scattered radiation dose rates are very close to the natural background within inches of the sample analysis point. Maintaining distance and wearing specialist PPE such as gloves will help to further reduce any unnecessary radiation exposure during operation.

3. Avoid direct exposure to the radiation beam

The spectrometer emits a directed radiation beam that, though a similar level to a medical or dental x-ray, should never be aimed at a person. This is all part of the effort to maintain the lowest possible radiation exposure to avoid any health concerns such as increased cancer risk or skin burns. Trained operators should avoid having their hands in front of the XRF analyser or holding the metal subject during analysis.

Always place the unknown metal on a flat surface to be analysed and keep all body parts as distant as possible from the radiation beam during the analysis process. For samples that are circular and could roll away, place an object behind the sample to avoid handling the object while measuring fluorescence. 

Are you interested in metal recycling in Melbourne?

At Metal Men Recycling, we use the latest technology and methods to make metal recycling in Melbourne simple. We take all the hard work of sorting and transporting out of the process with our streamlined 24-hour pick-up service. By buying an extensive range of scrap metals, our reliable team is ready to cater to your metal recycling needs to easily benefit your business and the environment. 

Whether you’re looking to sell scrap metal or would just like to learn more about our business-to-businessmetal recycling process, give us a call on 03 5941 6677 or fill out our online contact form.

As scrap metal buyers in Melbourne, we often recommended using a magnet to help to identify metal for sale or recycling. This process helps to determine if it is a ferrous or non-ferrous metal and narrows down the material’s components. But why are some metals magnetic and others not? What makes a material magnetic? As experts in all matters of metal recycling, the team at Metal Men Recycling is here to detail metals and magnetism.

What happens when a metal is magnetic?

Magnetism is when a force attracts or repels magnetic objects. When the electrons within an atom of a material move in a particular way, that material becomes magnetic. Spinning electrons orbit the central nucleus of atoms, and in some atoms, like the metal iron, a subatomic force makes the spin of electrons from neighbouring atoms also line up combining their magnetic fields.

This produces a magnetic field that extends outside of the atoms and causes the metal itself to be magnetic. Due to their atomic structure, some metals naturally have magnetism by default, but other metals can become magnetised or demagnetised if certain conditions are met.

3 kinds of magnetic metals

Due to their internal structure, metals can respond to magnets in three ways: ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and diamagnetic. 

• Ferromagnetic metals are considered truly magnetic. These metals are strongly attracted to the magnet and that force can be seen and felt. Iron is a ferromagnetic metal. 
• Paramagnetic metals are weakly attracted to magnets. However, they do not retain magnetism when the magnetic field is removed like ferromagnetic metals. Some examples of paramagnetic metals include platinum and aluminium. 
• Diamagnetic metals are weakly repelled by both poles and are the materials that are generally considered “non-magnetic”. This includes gold, silver and lead. 

3 kinds of magnetism

How long a piece of scrap metal remains actively magnetic can also help to differentiate the type of metal. Metal can have magnetic properties in three ways: permanently, temporarily and electromagnetically.

• Permanently magnetic materials are always producing their own magnetic field due to their atomic makeup, like ferromagnetic metals.  
• Temporary magnets only display magnetic properties under the right environmental conditions. Steel is an example of a temporary magnet as it needs a strong magnetic field to become magnetic. 
• Electromagnets only produce a magnetic field when an electrical current is passed through them. 
  

Which metals are magnetic?

Many metals and their alloys are magnetic due to their internal makeup, while other metals need stronger magnetic fields or an electrical current to exhibit magnetic properties. 

Some examples of magnetic metals include: 

• Iron
• Nickel 
• Cobalt 
• Steel (If it has enough iron properties)
• Some stainless steels
• Rare earth metals

Knowing the magnetic response of the metal helps to determine which metal to use in electrical equipment and other devices. For example, copper is considered non-magnetic, so, copper wire is used in electrical wiring. However, if you introduce a large enough magnetic field, all types of metal will interact with magnets. Therefore, strong metal detectors can still register “non-magnetic” diamagnetic metals like gold and silver.

Are you looking for scrap metal buyers in Melbourne?

Metal Men Recycling is a family-owned team of scrap metal buyers in Melbourne. With our streamlined 24-hour pick-up service, we offer the best prices on the market for a variety of scrap metals. Our reliable team is ready to cater to your metal recycling needs and recycle your unwanted waste.

Whether you’re looking to sell scrap metal or would just like to learn more about the process and environmental benefits of metal recycling, give us a call on 03 5941 6677 or fill out our online contact form.