Canon-Mac Metals

The most common type of scrap metal that the average person can find is aluminum or iron. Both of these are relatively easy to find and can accumulate quickly which means more money for the seller.

Scrap metal has been an important export for the United States for over one hundred years. It accounts for over $8 billion in exports annually, and is the second largest commodity, in dollar value, exported to China.

Over 30 billion aluminum cans were sent to landfills last year, even though they had a collective recycling value of more than $600 million. Enough aluminum is sent to the landfill every month to rebuild the nation's fleet of commercial air carriers.

Did you know that the scrap metal industry is one of the few industries that contributes positively to the U.S. economy? In 2006, the scrap metal industry contributed $65 billion.

Obsolete or old scrap is something that is unwanted and can no longer be used in its original form. This type of scrap can still be useful and the metal that is within these objects can be used. For example, silver can be taken from old film and copper can be taken from radiators.

Many scrap materials can accumulate from large construction jobs, home repair projects or home remodeling. Don't be too quick to have these hauled off to the dump. If you take the time to sort what you have, you can end up gaining monetary compensation from the unused or altered material.

What most people consider to be junk others consider to be a viable business opportunity. While one person may not think twice about an old water heater or pile of aluminum cans, someone else who knows about scrap metal can turn these into money making opportunities.

Did you know that scrap metal is defined as any item made of 51% or more metal?

Scrap metal is divided into two categories: ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous scrap metal is iron and steel. Non-ferrous scrap metal comprises metals other than iron or steel. Ferrous scrap accounts for most of the recycled metal.

It's a good rule of thumb to already have metal for recycling sorted out before you get to the facility that will be buying the material. Consider taking the time to sort.

Two of the main advantages of recycling scrap metal are that it creates less pollution and saves landfill space by ensuring materials do not become litter.

Scrap metal recycling also reprocesses copper, lead, zinc, stainless steel, iron, and steel. In all, close to sixty million tons of scrap metal is processed each year.

Scrap metal recycling promotes a healthy environment of trade among various countries outside of North America. In the year 2007 alone, scrap metal recycling accounted for 38 million metric tons of material exported to countries such as South Korea, Germany and India.