We’ve all walked past a building site covered in scaffolding and rubble and seen a succession of laden skips leave the site. I always have a quick scan to see if there is anything ‘of use’ earmarked for disposal, even though I wouldn’t have a clue how to realize any such value.
Unfortunately, it is all too common to see white goods, construction waste and other household appliances consigned to the scrap heap, without much regard for how they should be disposed of correctly. It is easy to feel guilty and helpless, but we still see millions of tonnes of reusable metal going straight to landfill when they are easy and cheap to recycle. What a waste!
But listen up, because there is a long-standing industry of growing significance at your disposal for just such a situation – one that can educate you about what to look for, and which might even earn you a few extra quid.
The phrase ‘scrap metal’ might conjure up images of the ‘rag and bone’ man, driving his van through the streets whilst ringing his bell, canvassing for unwanted household items. Historically rag and bone men lived in poverty, surviving day to day on whatever they could get their hands on.
Today’s scrap metal services are a far cry from this out-dated image – they are heavily regulated, professional and are making great strides into reducing our material wastage. They are experts in identification, retrieval, and preparation of scrap metal in a saleable form and are aware of the pitfalls and dangers to ensure these activities are carried out safely. If you have any sources of potential scrap metal, such waste from home renovations, extensions or building works, engaging in professional scrap metal services for disposal and site clearance makes total sense.
Not only will you save a lot of time but engaging proper professionals can also save you a lot of headaches and heartache. Consider these issues, when it comes to scrap metal, and you might reconsider going it alone.
Safety – scrap metal by its nature can be extremely unsafe – sharp broken and rusty metal needs to be removed from other waste safely for it to reach its maximum price.
Toxic materials – lead, found often in older properties, in things such as water pipes and roofing can be lucrative, but very dangerous.
Suitable PPE must be worn at all times to prevent injury.
Airborne particles from metal and other hazardous materials (such as asbestos) as well as toxic chemicals derived from old buildings are incredibly dangerous and should not be moved or processed without expert knowledge and protection – it just isn’t worth the risk.
Metals will trade best with volume and you simply might not generate enough from your building site clearance to sell to metal traders – they look for volume and weight. Dedicated scrap metal professionals deal in scale and have suitable methods of storing such material safely.
Metal cannot just be presented in its found form, it needs to be stripped from materials such as kettles, brickwork or cement
It also needs to be sorted into specific metal groups if you want to make any decent money. Those metals which offer best returns are copper, tin, aluminium and nickel. But do you know how to differentiate each?
Recycling metal is incredibly efficient in comparison to producing the same metal from raw materials in regard to carbon emissions. Already over 420,000 tonnes of metal is recycled every year, in the UK – a market worth £11 billion. If you want to earn yourself a slice of the pie, without getting your hand’s dirty use a dedicated scrap metal service and do your bit for the environment at the same time.
