Selling scrap metal for recycling is a fantastic way to revitalise a material that has been used previously. It reduces waste, is great for the environment, profitable for the seller, and can be transformed into an incredibly useful new item or structure. So, what is the process for someone who wants to sell scrap metal? How do you sell it, and what happens after it is sold?
What defines scrap metal?
Scrap metal refers to metal waste or discarded metal objects that are no longer being used. This can include items such as old cars, appliances, machines, construction materials, and electronic devices. Scrap metal is usually not biodegradable, which means it does not break down naturally in the environment and can contribute to pollution and landfill. However, scrap metal can be recycled and repurposed into new metal products, reducing the need for mining and other extraction processes.
Where is scrap metal sourced from?
Scrap metal is usually sourced from a few main locations:
- Industrial Waste: This metal is collected from industrial sites such as factories, manufacturing plants, and businesses that use metal products.
- End-of-life products: Old or broken-down products such as cars, appliances, electronic devices, and machinery.
- Construction/ Demolition: often there is leftover scrap metal after the construction process and of course, plenty can be found after a demolition.
- Consumer waste: Consumer waste for packaging products such as cans, aluminium foil, and other metallic packaging can also be collected and recycled.
What happens if I want to sell scrap metal?
There may be many scenarios where you find yourself with scrap metal that you aren’t sure how to dispose of. Often you might find yourself with a big pile of stuff, some of it may be scrap metal. Unfortunately, a lot of scrap metal aside from consumer waste such as cans is not suitable for recycling within Melbourne and Victoria’s regular recycling system. This leads to people either throwing the metal into a landfill where it won’t break down or leaving it sitting around damaging the environment and taking up space. In scenarios where you have leftover scrap metal lying around, a dedicated metal recycling company such as Metal Men Recycling can take care of your scrap for you, and as a bonus, you receive cash in return.
Metal Men Recycling has a dedicated scrap and salvage yard and facility that has the capabilities of recycling and forwarding a wide variety of products. From cans to batteries to cars and electric motors.
How is the scrap metal collected?
Because scrap metal collection goes through a separate recycling entity to your standard council ran operation, you aren’t able to put scrap into your regular recycling bins. During scrap collection, Metal Men Recycling will deliver dedicated bins to your premises, free of charge, for you to fill with the designated scrap. These bins will then be picked up by our metal collectors and delivered to our facility. However, bins may not be appropriate for large-scale operations such as factories or farms. Metal Men Recycling offers custom factory and farm clean-up solutions so no matter what the scenario, the scrap is collected for re-use.
What happens to scrap metal after collection?
- Sorting: The collected scrap metal is sorted and categorised based on the type of metal (brass, aluminium, copper, etc.) and quality (whether it is damaged, or rusted). Metals of differing quality may have different processing methods, so it’s important to sort them correctly. The sorting process may involve deconstructing some items such as cars or appliances.
- Processing: The sorted scrap metal is then processed to remove any impurities, such as dirt, plastic, or other non-metallic materials. This step can involve shredding, cutting, or crushing the scrap metal into smaller pieces.
- Melting: The processed scrap metal is melted down in a furnace to produce molten metal. The temperature required for melting depends on the type of metal being recycled. During the melting process, impurities rise to the surface of the molten metal and are removed.
- Solidification: The purified molten metal is cast into solid shapes or forms for the new intended use.
- Distribution: The newly recycled metal can now be distributed to manufacturers who will use it to produce new products.
Are You Ready to Sell Scrap Metal?
Make the most of Metal Men Recycling’s dedicated metal recycling capabilities today! We pride ourselves on being metal recycling experts and providing exceptional customer service from start to finish. Don’t let valuable scrap metal sit around to collect dust and take up space. Sell your scrap metal today!
Call us at 03 5941 6677, or fill out our online contact form, and we will get back to you!
