Choosing what materials to scrap can be a difficult task. While some scrappers spend most of their time with ferrous or non-ferrous items, electronic waste (e-waste) has become a hot commodity as of late. The challenge is trying to find places where scrappers can get more of the materials to make it worth their while.
Searching high and low, finding e-waste is a GO!
Scrappers are always on the hunt for new material and finding e-waste for scrap can be a difficult task for some. Before we go into the places you can find these materials, here are some of the most common things you can find that are considered e-waste:
- Computers Towers can scrap them as is or take them apart for materials seen below.
- Motherboards, memory boards, CPUs, hard drives, insulated wire, and cell phones.
- TV circuit boards
- Appliance circuit boards
- Laptops
- Computer Servers
Place You Can Find E-Scrap & Electronics for Scrap Metal
- Start at home: Do you have broken or old electronics? Common items like computers, video games, DVD/CD players, cell phones, and more could be laying around your house. If they don’t work you can take them apart and get the scrap out of them, but more importantly any computer boards out of them and add them to your e-waste pile.
- Craigslist/eBay: We know we may say it a lot but online listings on sites like Craigslist are great places to find people looking to get rid of their scrap and maybe even some e-waste. Keep a look out for things like TVs, Computers, and other electronic systems. eBay could also be a good place to look for cheap e-waste parts too. Often times things like computers or other electronics that are broken can be listed on there for parts. Sometimes you can spend a couple of bucks to get a bulk load of e-waste.
- Local Businesses: Check with stores in your area that may have many computers or are going out of business. If they are updating their computers they may be looking for a place to get rid of them. If they are going out of business, why not offer your services to them to help them get rid of their electronics?
- Drive by: Always be aware of the items that may be laying on the side of the road like any other scrap. There may be a computer, DVD player, or other electronics that may have some circuit boards inside.
Keep in mind that any item that has features that are computerized most likely has a circuit board inside. Also, most electronics have wires attached, so be sure to cut those off and throw them in your insulated wire pile. Don’t forget to use the iScrap App to find a scrap yard near you that takes e-waste.
If you have an idea of your own you would like to see on the iScrap App Blog, please email us. Also don’t forget to post and discuss other scrapping tips and stories on the free iScrap Metal Forum.
