What Are The Most Valuable Scrap Metals?

By Author: Leonard Simmons
Total Articles: 152
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What are the most valuable scrap metals? If you are looking for a way to make some extra cash or are thinking about starting a small business locating and selling scrap metals this is a fundamental question.

By valuable scrap metals we are not speaking of silver, gold and platinum, as it is very unlikely that these would show up in a pile of unwanted junk. In the realm of recycling metal from demolition sites, we are referring to aluminum, copper, brass and bronze. These products are commonly discarded or found in objects for sale that are priced below their scrap value.

Not all scrap metals, even copper, are valuable as scrap metals. Much depends on their purity and cleanliness. The less processing required, the higher the price. In the case of copper wire, the heavier the gauge, the higher the copper to jacket ratio and thus the more valuable it is.

For example, bare copper wire is worth $3.10 per pound where insulted wire is only $1.05 per pound, but insulated cable is $2.12 per pound. Even so, a pound of some cable is only a few feet. A spool of 250 feet of cable is indeed valuable.

Some recent ...
... prices per pound on the East Coast include:

• Bare copper wire, $3.10
• MCM cable, shiny bright inside, $2.35
• Brass, $1.65
• Aluminum siding, $0.51
• Cast aluminum, $0.46
• Broken aluminum windows, $0.49
• Lead, $0.41

These are just a few examples of the prices being paid for valuable scrap metals in the Mid-Atlantic. Please notice that broken aluminum windows bring a higher price than cast aluminum. The reason is that cast aluminum has an alloy added to it and the windows are made with a purer form. Without the glass, of course, they are all aluminum.

Finding and selling valuable scrap metals can be a very lucrative business with the demand for virgin materials rising and the value of many metals rising. The news is full of stories about people stealing copper wiring from old appliances or metal railings. It points to the amount of value scrap metal has o the market.

Just pick up anything you find made of the big three – copper, brass and aluminum –and keep it in separated piles in a safe spot. After a while you will be surprised at what you will have accumulated and how much better you will become at identifying it.

Recycling or reusing scrap metal makes good business sense because it can offset the demolition and disposal costs associated with removing an unwanted building. It is also good environmental stewardship. Many surrounding businesses and residents will be either fascinated with or nervous about your demolition. Reassuring them that as much material as possible will be reused or recycled will convey good will toward your company.

This practice is known as green demolition or asset recovery, and it cuts the amount of material hauled to the landfill in half. In today’s world, it makes no sense to take perfectly usable natural resources and simply dump them in the trash. You might as well throw money away.

To preserve scrap metals, choose a demolition expert who keeps the environment in mind – as well as safety and expediency – when planning a demolition of a building. Choose a reputable company and you can rest assure that your structure’s metals will be reused – and your costs will be offset.

Want to learn more about scrap metals?

Get more information: http://www.tamcodemolition.com