Recycling and selling scrap metal is an effective way to make some spare cash quickly. However, if you do not have access to a lot of scrap metal at your home, it may not be cost effective to spend a day bringing what you do have to a local scrap yard and then selling it. That is why it is effective to find scrap metal nearby your home. There are many places you can go to find scrap metal for free. Not only is becoming a scrap metal collector and recycler good for making money, it is also good for the environment. It is estimated that only 30% of recyclable metal gets recycled, so finding excess metal and bringing it to your local yard can really help make more community more environmentally friendly. 
Talk To Your Local Businesses
You may not have scrap metal readily available in your home or on your property, but local businesses might. Many homeowners and business owners are not willing to invest the time in getting a truck and bringing their meager amount of metal to a local yard, but if a few collectors are willing to take metal off business owner’s hands they can quickly gather a large amount of metal. Lots of businesses generate “bone yards” or areas where they leave all of their obsolete and broken equipment. From landscaping companies to apartment buildings, it is likely that businesses are needlessly storing large heavyweight metal that they do not have the time to transport. By making pick-up and removal a free service, businesses will happily give you old appliances, machines, and other equipment. 
Construction & Renovation Job Sites
Most scrap yards go after both residents and contractors. That is because, aside from local homeowners recycling old vehicles, contractors generate the most scrap metal. Renovation and demolition products quickly create a lot of scrap metal. If you are able to help effectively store or transport that metal away from the job site, contractors will likely let you help. And if you already work with a construction company, this is a win-win scenario. On the one side, you can help your construction team stay organized and decrease clutter, on the other side you can sell the scrap metal yourself. Just make sure to get permission to move metal from the foreman of the project. 
Community Pages, Craiglist, & Other Online Forums
A lot of towns have community pages, websites, and similar sites where residents can communicate with one another. It is never a bad idea to let your neighbors know that you are willing to help them transport any scrap metal that they are unable to transport. Offering this free service will likely get a few neighbors to call you to help get rid of an old refrigerator or car. Just make sure that in the event someone wants help with car removal that you follow your state’s laws on recycling used vehicles. Many scrap yards will not accept a used car without proof of ownership. 
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For more information on how you can get the most out of your scrap metal recycling projects, contact our team or visit our blog for more ideas.