REVIEWING LOCAL JUNK YARDS & GUIDE TO SCRAPPING METALS
Recycling metal is a great way to earn a few extra bucks while doing your part to go green. Below we feature our favorite scrap yards yards in Phoenix, as well as a best practice guide to scrapping metal.
While building your Spring declutter pile, think about where all of that junk is going to end up before you toss it. If you make the right moves, you can do a lot of good for our environment and maybe even make yourself a buck or two along the way. A lot of your old junk contains metal. Metal is one of those things that can be recycled over and over again without losing quality. If you have some metal parts or an old appliance recycling before tossing.
BEST SCRAP METAL YARDS IN PHOENIX, AZ
1
Olgin & Efune Recycling
Address: 2449 W Madison St, Phoenix, AZ 85009 | Hours: 7AM - 4PM | Phone: (602) 595-6977
Don’t be fooled by Gregory's crazy name or its young age. Although the company is still, in diapers its owners have over 75 years of experience in the metal scraping business. That's almost a century of woks into Mustangs. The CEO of Gregory, formerly the CEO of Liberty Iron and Metal Holdings, has set up shop, this time with family, making this small business family enterprise. As such, they conduct business a little differently than their international counterparts.
Olgin & Efune Recycling ... old-gin and e-tune ... od-in efuente ... olly-nan efff-knee ... you know I’m gonna call you Gregory cuz that name is a nightmare, buddy, let me tell you.
Located in Phoenix, Gregory has the tools, the equipment, and the junk to get the job done. They even grabbed the Union Pacific Railroad when they went around the board, so they have easy access to transportation on a large scale.
These guys accept almost all metals both ferrous and nonferrous, which is just their way of saying they're nerdier than us. Us, regular folks, say iron or non-iron. Either way, they take it all.
2
SA Recycling
Address: 12 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210 | Hours: 7:15 - 4:15PM | Phone: (480) 964-1177
SA Recycling is a much bigger fish, they have over 70 locates, five of which are in the Valley. Their mantra… “intelligent resource management and re-use.” Well, that's a good policy, who doesn’t find intelligence attractive? They know their work means good things for us and our environment because they help protect our natural resources.
These guys are like your Friday night gal in the red light district, they will take it all. There are no metal products they won't take. If there is metal to be salvaged in any piece of junk you have, they will make sure it gets done. Lamps, cookware, tools, appliance, you name it, they’ll do it.
3
Davis Salvage
Address: 1112 W Birchwood Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210 | Hours: 7AM - 5PM | Phone: (480) 423-7255
Address: 3322 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034 | Hours: 7AM - 5PM | Phone: (602) 267-7208
Davis Salvage Company serves the Phoenix, Mesa, and Tempe areas. They are another local family-owned business. Unlike Gregory these guys have long outgrown diapers, they are a fourth generation business and have the success of both the old wise man and the young risk taker.
They accept any size load, from large commercial wads to tiny little wads you can hold in your hand. No matter how big your wad is they have a recycling solution for you.
When you're cleaning out your garage keep these guys in mind, they'll pay you for shelving, bicycles, bed frames, trampoline, and barbecues.
4
Deer Valley Recycling
Address: 2333 W Deer Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85027 | Hours: 6:45AM - 3:45PM |⋅Phone: (623) 869-8900
Deer Valley Recycling Center in Phoenix is a great choice if you have nonferrous metals to scrap. Still, don't know the difference? Grab a magnet, if it sticks its ferrous (has iron) if not then it's nonferrous which means no iron, just like you learned in 3rd-grade science.
Thes guys take all non-ferrous metals. They are looking for things like copper, brass and aluminum cans.
5
We Buy Scrap
Address: 2903 W Broadway Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85041 | 8PM - 5PM | Phone: (623) 760-9948
We Buy Scrap, that's their name. And I guess that's all you need to know, if you have scrap they will buy it. They will pay top dollar for your metal junk no matter how much or how little you bring in. If you just have few kitchen items drop them buy, these guys will take them off your hands, plus you get to walk out with a little jingle in your pocket.
6
Arizona Scrap Iron & Metal
Address: 433 S 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85007 | Hours: 7:30AM - 4:30PM | Phone: (602) 252-8423
Finally, Arizona Scrap Iron & Metal. They have been working in the Valley since 1948. That's right, they have been in business since the first tape recorder was sold, the same year the 5th Winter Olympic Games took place in Switzerland. Remember when Joe Dimaggio hit three consecutive home runs? AZ Scrap has been around since then. And that’s saying something.
Simply put AZ Scrap know about the recycling business, they take all types of scrap metal, any amount, any kind. And since they have been around for awhile, you know your getting experienced care.
AZ Junk Pickups
Do you have a backyard or garage full or recyclable items? Looking to get rid of that junk fast? Schedule a Phoenix pickup or get a dumpster today.
HOW TO SCRAP METAL
TOOLS YOU'LL NEED
To get started in the scrapping world, you need some basic tools.
First, you need to get your hands on a quality pair of wire cutters, something sharp and durable, a pair of tin snips work well and often last longer than other wire cutters.
A multi-head screwdriver, or better yet a cordless drill, but don’t forget the drill bits and always remember to charge the battery. Long screwdriver bits come in handy if you can find some.
Finally, you absolutely need a magnet. Any magnet will do, a heavy industrial grade hockey puck or the Mickey Mouse off the fridge, it doesn’t matter.
KNOWLEDGE YOU'LL NEED
Ferrous VS Non-Ferrous Metals
Before you get buried under piles of scrap, you will need a brief education in ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
The reason you must carry a magnet with you is to determine if you are working with ferrous or non-ferrous metals. Distinguishing between the two is essential to your success in the scrapping business.
In a straightforward test, place the magnet on the metal if it sticks, then you have ferrous metal.
The most common types of ferrous metals are steel and iron. If the magnet doesn’t stick, then it is a non-ferrous metal. Non-ferrous metals, like copper, aluminum, brass, and stainless steel are more valuable to a scrap yard.
Types of Metals
Now that you know the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous, you need to know about the different types of metals.
Aluminum
Copper
Brass
Steel
Aluminum
The most common metal to be recycled is aluminum.
Although aluminum recycling will not make you a millionaire, its value to the world is significant. Recycled aluminum saves 80% of the energy it took to make it in the first place, plus it is one of the easiest to get ahold of.
Where Can You Find It?
It is often painted, but if not, it has a white-silver color. Obviously, you’ll find it in beer and soda cans, but it is also common in window and door frames, gutters, siding, pots and pans, even tire rims.
Copper
On the opposite end of the spectrum is copper. It is anywhere from red to dark brown, depending on the condition of the metal. It's valuable enough that copper thieves will cost thousands of dollars in structural damage to get their hands on it.
Where Can You Find It?
You can find a lot of copper in your home, starting with plumbing pipes and electrical wiring. But often you see it in gutters, air conditioners, and roofing materials too. Unlike aluminum, copper is worth a lot of money at the scrap yard, but finding it, without taking apart your house, can be tricky because of its high demand.
Brass
The second most valuable metal is brass. Not to be confused with copper or gold, brass is heavier and is yellow with a red tint.
Where Can You Find It?
Brass is a mix of zinc and copper and is usually used for plumbing. You can find a lot of brass at the hardware store. It is used to make keys, cabinet handles, light fixtures, door handles, and plumbing fixtures. You can usually get a decent payout for brass because of how dense and heavy it is.
Steel
Another common metal is steel. Unlike the other valuable recyclables, steel is a ferrous metal, so your magnet will stick to it. The main difference between steel and stainless steel is magnetism; steel attracts the ladies and stainless steel doesn't.
Where Can You Find It?
Because of its popularity, you will find steel easily, but you won’t get a ton of money for it due to the laws of supply and demand. Steel can be found in cars, chairs, tools, cabinets, shelves, bed frames, and dozens of other places. The great thing about recycling steel is that it can be melted down and repurposed a thousand times and never lose its integrity.
Gathering Scrap
Look at a variety of sources to collect enough metal to make your trip to the scrap yard worthwhile.
Start with the junk lying around your house. Once you start looking, you will see spare metal parts everywhere.
While decluttering, you’re sure to run into piles of recyclable metals.
The kitchen alone has a half dozen different types of metal. Iron pans, copper pots, empty beer cans, aluminum foil, and silverware are just a few. Not to mention that your old appliances have a plethora of metal to salvage.
There is metal hidden nearly everywhere in the house, especially in hardware, such as cabinet handles, door frames, window frames, television sets, electronics, washer and dryers, lamps, and picture frames.
Most patio furniture is made out of metal or at least has metal parts, all of which are salvageable. Most landscaping tools, including lawnmowers and shears, have metal that can be recycled.
Household decor like furniture, lamps, shelves, even old Christmas ornaments, and other decorations can contain metal. After cleaning out the house hit the garage. Tools, nails and screws, bicycles, instruments, car parts such as batteries and rims and a dozen other things can be sent to the salvage yard.
Copper wire is in almost anything that is powered. Televisions, computer monitors, computers, laptops, DVD players, cameras, cell phones, appliances both big and small, from washing machines to toasters, basically anything that plugs in uses copper wire. For a while, in the '70s and again in the mid-'90s aluminum wire replaced the traditional copper wire, so if you strip an old appliance don't be too surprised if you get silver instead of red.
After you have canvassed all of your garbage, start looking at other people’s junk. You can rummage through bulk trash piles, troll through Craigslist ads, and even pester your friends for their old junk.
Leave no stone unturned my friends; its the scrapper motto.
Cleaning Up Metals for Recycling
You aren’t likely to find a treasure trove of pure metal lying around. Almost all of it will have non-metal parts that need to be removed. If you have a stash of parts with screws or other non-metal components, it is worth your time to remove them.
If you do not remove the excesses first, you may be sent away.
Other yards will take them for a lower price since the yard will have to clean them before the metal can be recycled. But if you’re willing to do the work, then you can expect to make a little extra money.
For example ethernet cables and electrical wires are little gold mines.
Stripping the wire before taking it to the yard will get you a lot more than turning them over covered in rubber
Separating Your Metals
After you have amassed all the metal you can find, it’s time to sort and separate.
Use the magnet to determine which items are ferrous and non-ferrous.
From there, categorized your metals by type: brass, copper, steel, stainless steel, and aluminum.
Arriving at the Scrap Metal Yard
Phone In Advance
If you’ve never been to the scrap yard, you should consider calling ahead. They may have special procedures that you will need to follow or have odd hours. Check to see what metals they accept and in what condition, for example, some yards won’t take wires that have not been stripped. This call will also give you a chance to price shop before you head out.
Weigh-In Time
The last thing you need to know about recycling scrap metal is the weigh in process. You’ll need to dust off your high school math skills to make sure you get what you are owed.
The terms you need to know before you weigh in are gross weight, tare weight, and net weight.
Gross weight is the weight of the metals and the container they are in; if you’ve filled up the bed of your truck, then the gross weight is the weight of the truck with metal in the bed.
Tare weight is the weight of the container used to carry the metal. In this case, the tare weight is the weight of the truck when the truck bed is empty.
Finally, net weight = gross weight - tare weight.
You will be paid based on your net weight.
Watch the scales and calculate the numbers yourself to make sure you are getting paid for every pound you brought in.
Why Recycle?
Recycling metal means less mining, and less mining means protecting our environment, protecting our environment means using our natural resources wisely, being wise means your able to give unsolicited advice, giving unsolicited advice means you're annoying, being annoying means you have no friends. But even annoying lonely people need to recycle. Especially if you live here in Phoenix, our recycling efforts with the Blue Bin are less than ideal.
Metal is too valuable to just throw away, so consider what you plan to do with those old appliances, lawn mowers, even bullet casing. All of which can be sold for a pretty penny to a local scrap metal recycler.
Your old junk can be a new car or plane, maybe new pipes for a house or even new appliances. Maybe even a new soda can. Think about that the next time you pop a top, that can might be your old bicycle.
It not just good for the environment, its good for the economy: it keeps the price of metal products down. Producing metal from virgin ore takes more energy, and money than recycled metal. Plus it produces massive greenhouse gasses. So not recycling metal will make your virgin gassy.
Recycle and scrap metal centers will pay you top dollar for anything you bring in, from a bag full of soda cans to your old water heater, you can expect to get some dough for your old junk.
AZ JUNK RECYCLES
In line with our eco-friendly attitude, we have become experts at removing and hauling metal. We have relationships and connections with facilities across the valley where we can drop off metals for recycling after we extract it from the rest of the junk. We also cleanup after your remodeling projects.
Don't worry we’ll recycle the other crap too if we can.
FAQs
Scrap yards typically accept any sort of metal items, such as aluminum, steel, copper, and brass, as well as electronics and certain types of appliances. More recently some have even started taking on certain types of plastics that also have recycling value.
Scrap metal prices fluctuate and are based on commodity prices like any other traded good. Scrap yards will offer you a price per pound a bit less than the metal’s economic value at the time. They consoladate all of the metal they’ve bought over a period of time to get a better price for their investment.
Yes, it is usually recommended to sort your scrap metal into different categories, such as aluminum, steel, copper, and brass so that you can get the highest price possible. If you mix metals, scrap yards will most often give you a price on the lowest quality metal of the heap, giving you a loss just because you didn’t separate them into groups.
Scrap yard shy away from anything that can contain hazardous waste as once they buy the items from you, they are legally responsible if the chemicals or waste dumps out onto their property. So things like
refrigerators or air conditioners can be a case by case basis.
Make sure your metals are clean and sorted into piles of like metals. Don’t bring copper wire that still has its PVC coating on it as you’ll get less than if you cleaned up the metal yourself. Also, remove any non-metal parts, such as plastic screws or nails, and have it organized into different categories.
If you have large or sharp metal objects like rebar or fan blades, always use protective gear, such as gloves and safety glasses. For larger heavy metal objects, be sure your hands are never between two hard places at the same time. Ask for help if something is to heavy or awkward to move by yourself.
Do you have any video of that? I’d want to find out some additional information.|
Great, thanks for sharing this blog. Want more.
What is the current net price per pound for aluminum cans, please?
Looks like aluminum cans are running $0.59 per pound in Phoenix as of June 2021; sorry for the delayed reply.