Take a look in your garage or basement. Chances are you have items that are valuable to a metal recycler or “scrap yard”. These items range from aluminum folding chairs, copper piping, wire, metal shelving, car batteries, appliances, etc. The list goes on. Here are a few ideas on how to make a few dollars while cleaning up your home.
Appliances
If you purchase a new refrigerator you’ll likely get an offer for free removal. That isn’t a bad idea but you might want to contact your electric utility first and see if they have a rebate for that old fridge. In my area, the electric company will give $50 for an old refrigerator that meets its guidelines. One of those guidelines is that the unit works, but enforcement isn’t very stringent.
Your old washer and dryer are also worth money if you have the means to get them to the scrap yard. Expect about 8 cents per pound for them. That certainly beats paying to get rid of them, particularly if you bring some of the pricier items listed below.
Car Batteries
Your local town recycling center probably charges for you to drop these off. However, they are actually worth money because they contain lead! That is why if you buy a new battery, they charge a core fee of $10 or so. The core is valuable so take these batteries to the scrap yard instead of paying your town to take them off your hands.
Copper Pipe and Fittings
Many homes have pieces of copper plumbing pipes and fittings from work that was done over the years. These are quite valuable and it doesn’t matter if they are dirty or corroded from sitting in the corner of the basement. Expect about $2 per pound.
Aluminum
Those old lawn chairs are often aluminum, as are many roof flashings. These should get around 40 cents per pound.
Copper Wire
Expect about $1 per pound and don’t worry about removing the insulated sheathing, it’ll already be calculated into the price.
Iron
While this is the least valuble at about 8 cents per pound, it is found almost everywhere from recessed light housings to pipe to metal shelving. It is also very dense, so while the cost per pound is low, it can add up quickly if you have something large to get rid of.
So take a look around your house and if you think you’ve got enough scrap to make it worth your while, then find your local metal recycler and give them a call. It just might surprise you what your junk is worth.