If you’re looking for a short-term extra boost to your cash, then you can get this simply by scrapping the old household items that you no longer need. Lots of items found lying around the house, such as kitchen appliances, will have metal parts that you can profit from.
There are two different types of metal that you can cash in on ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Ferrous Metals
These types of metals are:
- Iron
- Iron alloys
- Stainless steel
Generally speaking, anything that can be scrapped will be able to fit into this category. Household items such as refrigerators, ovens, washing machines, and dryers will contain ferrous metals.
If you’re trying to make money from ferrous metals, you’ll generally be looking to sell appliances or a car you no longer need.
Non-Ferrous Metals
Metals that belong to this category are:
- Copper
- Aluminium
- Nickel
- Tin
Copper wiring is a non-ferrous metal that is a popular choice to make a little extra cash from, which can be found in your home. Electrically wired products may have this inside, old Christmas lights, for example.
Can Collecting
Believe it or not, a great way of making some quick cash is to collect cans. One on its own won’t be worth a lot, but if you collect a lot of them, it can add up. As a rough estimate, the current price for aluminum cans is around 40-50p per kg. However, the price does vary across different metal merchants, so make sure to check.
The price of scrap metal is heavily reliant on supply and demand. It’s always best to check with a local merchant to see if it’s even worth the time and effort; however, metal will generally hold its value well.
What is the Best Metal to Trade-In?
Due to its rarity, copper is considered to be one of the best metals to trade-in. The problem is that most appliances will not have a large amount of it so it might be best to collect a large quantity first, before trading it in. Depending on demand, copper is generally worth £4.00 per kg.
Another great metal to trade is lead. Unfortunately, this metal generally tends to have a bad rap as it’s usually associated with local thieves climbing about on roofs, stripping it from people’s homes. You can expect to make £1.20 per kg from lead.
Steel is a metal that’s more common than copper and lead as you can find this in your old car parts. To get the most money, you can scrap your entire car. Steel fluctuates heavily in price but is roughly worth £0.90 per kg.
Conclusion
It might not seem like metal is worth a lot in small quantities, but if you were to spend your time collecting cans or going through your old belongings, it can become a source of income. Some businesses will allow you to set up an aluminium can bank where employees can store their cans. You can then trade these in for a profit with a local metal merchant.
If you’re unable to transport the metal yourself, you could consider our scrap metal collection service here at Jarvis Metals. Give us a call at 01295 710223 or contact us via our contact form.