As spring approaches, the season cleaning is upon us. Beyond the traditional spring cleaning routine, the iScrap team wants you to consider incorporating scrapping into your agenda. It’s not just about decluttering; it’s about turning that clutter into cash! Whether you’re a seasoned scrapper or a novice looking to make extra money, this guide will help you find the best ways to start scrapping this spring, from organizing your scrap workspace to identifying valuable items commonly found during this season.
The Importance of Spring Cleanup
Spring cleanup presents a strategic move for scrappers. It’s not just for the items you can find while on the road, but how you can clean up what you currently have.
Maintaining an organized workspace is crucial for efficiency and profitability. Whether you have a designated area in your garage, a storage unit, or a backyard scrap yard, keeping materials organized, labeled, and easily accessible is vital. A clutter-free environment allows you to work more efficiently, identify valuable items quickly, and prevent further confusion when bringing items to your local yard.
Suggested Reading: A Guide To Organizing Your Scrap Metal
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How to Get into Scrapping this Spring Season
If you are starting out scrapping for the first time this Spring, some essential preparation is needed for a successful scrap season. Here are the top three tips to avoid common mistakes:
- Know what metals are accepted: Familiarize yourself with the metals taken at scrap yards in your area. This knowledge prevents you from bringing materials that won’t be accepted, saving you time and effort. Using the iScrap App, you can find a local yard, and often, there are user-reported listings of what metals they sold and at what price.
- Separate your metals in advance: Before heading to the recycling facility, separate your metals at home. This speeds up the process and shows you know what you are doing. If you’re a beginner, breaking your scrap down to simply ferrous and non-ferrous is always an excellent first step. Pre-sorted metals make it easier for you and the recycling facility staff to identify and process materials efficiently.
- Find a suitable yard: Choosing the right scrap yard is crucial for a successful scrapping experience. Look for a yard with the prices you are looking for and the proximity to your home. Establishing a relationship with a reliable scrap yard ensures you receive competitive prices for your scrap. Checking the iScrap App is a solid way to ensure you know what yards are near you and roughly how much they pay.
Keep A Look Out For These Items This Spring
The warming weather brings many different items out of the woodwork. It’s common to see the following:
- Vehicles/vehicle parts: Old cars, engines, and other vehicle components can fetch a good price, especially if they contain valuable metals like copper.
- Old tools: Whether rusty or broken, tools often contain recyclable metals. Don’t overlook the potential value in these seemingly mundane items.
- Aluminum siding: As homeowners undertake renovations or upgrades during spring, aluminum siding becomes a sought-after item for recycling due to its lightweight and recyclable nature.
- Car batteries: Many people’s batteries freeze or die over the winter. As a result, Car batteries are a staple in spring scrapping.
- Catalytic converters: Often the holy grail of scrap due to the high prices we used to get on these. If you do happen to source some ethically, contact the RRCats team today for a free quote!
- Old farm equipment and tractors: Rural areas with harsher winters may yield old farming machinery and tractors, which can be valuable sources of scrap metal.
- Insulated wires/old plumbing pipes: Freezing and bursting pipes over the winter and upcoming Spring renovation means Copper wire and tubing shouldn’t be too hard to come by.
- Refrigerators and washers/dryers: Appliances are commonly discarded and upgraded during spring cleaning, and their metal components can be cleaned and scrapped for profit
- “Outdoorsy” furniture: While not the technical name, think of lawn chairs, gazebos, BBQs, and firepits. These can start to add up quickly as they often contain Aluminum and Cast Iron, among other metals.
Environmental Benefits of Spring Scrapping:
In addition to the financial gains, scrapping during spring contributes positively to the environment:
- Reducing landfill waste: By recycling metals, you divert these materials from landfills, helping reduce the overall waste burden.
- Reducing emissions and air pollution: Mining and refining metals contribute to pollution. Recycling metals cut down on these processes, lowering emissions and air pollution.
- Preserving natural resources: Recycling metal reduces the need to extract and process materials, conserves natural resources, and minimizes environmental impact.
As you begin cleaning this Spring season, consider turning it into a profitable venture by incorporating scrapping into the routine. Follow these tips to organize your scrap workspace, identify valuable items, and contribute to your wallet and the environment. Scrapping this Spring can be a rewarding and sustainable endeavor with the proper knowledge and tools.
