
With the seasons constantly changing, the sports seasons are changing, and you can look to sports for scrap. In team sports, new regulations often go into effect and require players to purchase new equipment and get rid of their old stuff. With other sports or fitness routines, some people want fresh equipment, so they are looking for someone or somewhere to get rid of it. We put together some of the most common sports equipment you can look for for scrap metal.
Scrapping Sports Equipment
Plenty of sports require metal equipment. Many different sports and many different types of metal can be recycled. Also, be sure to check with your local scrap yard to ensure they accept your equipment. If you aren’t sure what the metal is, have them analyze or test it.
Can You Scrap Gym Equipment?
Plenty of things can be used at a gym or even in the basement of fitness fans that can be scrapped.
- Hand Weights—Usually made from iron or steel handles with rubber weights on the end, hand weights can be scrapped for weight, which is easy to figure out. Just look at the number.
- Bench Press Bars—Usually made from steel, these bars’ standard weight is 25-50 pounds.
- Bikes—Whether stationary or regular, bikes can be scrapped, usually for aluminum or steel. Stationary bikes have steel and an electric motor inside.
- Treadmills—Big and bulky equipment like treadmills and ellipticals are great finds. Their scrap value is determined by how much steel, copper, motors, aluminum, and stainless steel is underneath all the plastic. Often, homeowners are looking for people to pick them up for scrap.
What About Scrap Sports Equipment?
Many team sports use different sticks and bats that can be scrapped once they are no longer needed.
- Lacrosse Sticks—They usually have a plastic basket with netting on the top, but the stick is either aluminum or titanium. If you aren’t sure, scratch the metal; white and soft will be aluminum, and hard and grey will be titanium.
- Baseball/Softball Bats—Before they hit the major leagues with wooden ones, baseball and softball bats were often made from aluminum. However, newer models are usually composite bats (graphite, carbon fiber, fiberglass) and wouldn’t be worth scrapping.
- Pitching Machines—When they are too old to continue pitching during practices, they can be scrapped for steel and the electric motor.
Any Other Scrap Athletic Equipment?
During both the winter and summer months, a few popular sports require metal equipment that can be scrapped.
- Golf Clubs—The irons are ironically often made from titanium or stainless steel shafts. Only the heads are made from iron. You can check them with a scratch test to see what kind of metal you have. Stainless steel will be hard and silver in color, whereas titanium will be hard and dull grey.
- Ski Poles—During winter, northerners are often found on the slopes with ski poles. These poles are usually made from aluminum and can be scrapped.
Think Before You Scrap
While plenty of sports equipment can be scrapped for their metal, be aware of the situation. First off, make sure that you have permission to take the equipment. If you do, check out the condition of the equipment. If it is completely trashed and can’t safely be used again, scrap it. You have several options if it is in good condition and can be reused. You can try to resell it online for a higher profit than you would get at the scrap yard. Or, if you are kind enough, perhaps a local town or foundation accepts donated used sports equipment.