Did you know that approximately 48,000 people in the U.S. are currently working in the scrap metal recycling industry?
The scrap metal recycling market has expanded significantly in the last few years, and predictions are that growth will continue in the future. The thriving results of the scrap metal market mean that many different people are interested in recycling and selling scrap metal.
No matter if people are new to recycling or already scrapping, everyone needs to know where to sell scrap metal and how to find a reliable scrap metal dealer.
Keep reading this article, and you’ll find the answers to these questions!
Where to Sell Scrap Metal?
When choosing where to sell scrap metal, you must make sure that the scrap metal yard is reliable and reputable. Nowadays it is highly unlikely that you will come across a fraudster because the industry is regulated, but that happened to people in the past.
Another thing you should consider is the scrap metal yard’s location. It’s way easier and more beneficial to choose a place near you, so you don’t have to bother bringing all of your scrap metal far away.
How to Choose a Trustworthy Scrap Metal Yard?
Okay, you know you need a place you can trust when selling your scrap metal, but how do you know you can?
It can sometimes be challenging if you don’t know where to start. Here are some tips on how to choose the best place for your recycling.
Talk to Your Friends and Family
Word of mouth is still one of the best marketing practices. And since you’re looking for a scrap metal dealer who is near you, you can ask your family and friends if they recycle scrap metal and have a recommendation for a place.
Even though they might not have a reliable scrap metal dealer yet, it is a great topic to cover because you can start the search together, and they can ask their family and friends, and eventually someone will have a suggestion.
Another reason why it’s great to talk to them about recycling is that it will help raise awareness of its importance for people who haven’t started yet. And who knows, maybe you find a scrapping-buddy to go sell and recycle scrap metal together!
Use the Internet
If you didn’t find your scrap metal buyer by recommendation from your family and friends, it’s not a big deal because, luckily, we have an amazing source of information—the internet.
Google knows our location from real-time signals, such as IP address or device location, and also knows past activity on Google sites and services, so when you search for “where to sell scrap metal near me,” you will get results for scrap metal yards nearby.
After this search, you will probably have at least a few different scrap metal dealers to choose from.
But, how do you decide?
Well, you can look for reviews on the internet, but keep in mind that they are not 100% accurate. Most often, people who had a really bad experience with a specific business or, on the other hand, a really great experience, leave comments and reviews. So, usually, the truth is somewhere in between.
Of course, you can find valuable information in the comments and reviews. We’re just saying that this isn’t the most accurate way to make a judgment.
Another thing you can do is check scrap metal buyers’ websites. It’s a great way to read about the business, the way they work, and to get an overall impression of them.
Once again, this is not the most rigorous method to judge before having a true experience with someone, but usually it’s a great indicator of how people do their job. Usually, websites with more information and details are more precise and careful when doing business.
Langley Recycling is a great example of an informative scrap metal dealer’s website. On Langley’s website, you read about them, their mission, and their vision, but most importantly, about the materials they accept and the prices for different types of scrap metal. You will also find a blog page with valuable information, news, tips, and tricks for recycling and selling scrap metal.
We believe it’s important that scrap metal dealers have transparency and show their prices clearly because that means everyone will get the same deal.
Compare the Prices
After your conversation with other people and your internet research, you will probably have at least one scrap metal yard where you can potentially sell your scrap metal. But before taking all of your scrap metal to sell, there is one more step you can take to make sure you’ve found a trustworthy scrap metal dealer—compare the prices to other dealers.
By comparing the prices, you will see if your potential scrap metal dealer is fair and realistic. Even though most people don’t recycle scrap metal only to get money, that’s not a reason not to get the best deal possible.
If you follow these three easy tips while searching for a trustworthy scrap metal yard, you will most certainly find one.
And when you have your scrap metal dealer, do you know what they will accept and what they won’t? In case you’re not sure, here is a quick list of scrap metal items you can’t bring and sell to scrap metal merchants.
Items You Can’t Sell to Scrap Metal Buyer
A lot of items are not only made of metal but of a mixture of various materials. Scrap metal buyers will accept some of these items, and they will remove the metal parts for recycling and dispose of the remaining parts according to the regularities. Still, some items won’t be accepted, and you must know what not to offer scrap metal dealers.
Here is the list of items you can’t sell:
- Items made of wood, plastic, or glass;
- Items with radioactive materials;
- Items with explosive materials;
- Items made of porcelain;
- Items with asbestos-containing materials;
Items that contain mercury materials (such as thermostats, switches, and fluorescent light bulbs).
If you’re new to scraping and want to learn more, we suggest you read our beginner’s guide on what is considered scrap metal and blog about 5 things you should know before starting to collect scrap metal.
Final Word
Did you find an answer to your question? Do you now know where to sell scrap metal?
We hope this article helped you find an answer and valuable tips while searching for a scrap metal dealer.
And if you’re still not sure which scrap metal buyer to start with, we suggest you to check out Langley Recycling.
Langley Recycling is one of the largest metal recycling facilities in the Kansas City area and a reliable and trustworthy buyer who will get you the best possible deals.
Do you have questions or want a quote for your scrap? Contact us!
