If you are a part-time or full-time scrapper, it is always a good idea to have an idea of how the local neighborhoods and monthly schedules can affect your scrapping. We have put together some ideas of how you can schedule your scrapping around different times during the week, month, and year. These are some ideas to keep in mind when you are looking for scrap and interested in finding more metal in your area.
But before you start rummaging through someone’s garbage or recycling, be sure you are caught up on the local laws in your area to make sure you have the ability to take these items. Remember, it’s better to ask for permission than to ask for forgiveness.
LOCAL SCRAP LAWS
Keep Your Calendar Organized For Scrap Metal Pickups
Below are some of the days and times of year you should think about looking for scrap metal in your area. Like we mentioned before, be sure to know what you are allowed and not allowed to take from curbs, dumpsters, and job sites. Do not trespass or enter private property without permission.
Garbage Pick Up Days
Depending on the size of your town, there may be several different days for garbage. It may pay off to grab the local garbage schedule from your local municipalities to see when they will be having pick up days, especially for bulk garbage days. Always keep an eye out for bulk items like:
- Gym Equipment
- Air Conditioners
- Grills
- Lawn Mowers
Some towns may have different sections or streets picked up at different times during the week or month. *Make sure that you check with the local municipality that you are allowed to pull from the curb. Some towns like NYC do not let you and some smaller towns do not let you either. You may want to use Google Maps to help you create a route that you can take every week early in the morning before the garbage trucks roll through.
End/Beginning of Month Near Apartments
This is a great time of the month to keep a lookout for large objects like TV’s, bed frames, AC units, and more out on the curbs. The beginning and ends of the month are the most common times when people are moving out or moving in. So if there are any apartment complexes near your house, be sure to look out for moving trucks. If you see people hauling boxes back and forth, they are probably really busy so be courteous and just drop them your business card and let them know to call you to haul anything out.
Also, it may be a good idea to talk to the property manager too. You may want to offer your services exclusively to them for any cleanouts for tenants that may be (unfortunately) kicked out from their apartments and things have to be hauled out.
Weekends – Clean Outs & Garage Sales
We have said it before, but the weekends are usually when most people are home and take time to clean out their house, basement, or garages. Keep a lookout on Saturdays and Sundays. They may be cleaning out complete rooms or doing renovations to their home that result in extra things or metals left on the curb.
Also, on the weekends a lot of garage sales are happening. So typically if there are bulky items like treadmills or other equipment that is not sold, the homeowner may just want to keep it curbside to label it for free. This may be a great chance to grab some heavier items no one else wants to haul.
Holiday Seasons – New Technology & Gifts
Keep in mind the different holidays that may be happening during the year and what kind of items to look for. For example, summer holidays will have a lot of Aluminum Cans and grills that can be scrapped. During Christmas and Hanukkah season, look out for TV’s, computers, and other electronics you can pull copper, circuit boards, and other components from.
So take the time every month to look at your calendar and write down some days to keep a lookout in different places for scrap that may be available for pickup. As always remember to have your business cards or contact information available, so you can market your services to local neighborhoods. Also, be sure to download the iScrap App to find local scrap yards in the areas you aren’t familiar with.
