cover image for blog scrap metal in your home shows graphic of home with scrap metal icons

The 5 Common Places to Find Scrap Metal in Your Home

By:

Regional Recycling |

June 6, 2023

Recycling scrap metal in your home protects the environment and can put cash in your pocket.

If you want to make some extra cash, your home is an excellent place to start. Copper, steel, brass, aluminum, and iron can all be found in various items around your house.

Instead of throwing them away, consider recycling them for quick cash. In this blog post, we will explore five common places where you can find scrap metal in your home and turn it into money.

1) The Kitchen

Your kitchen is filled with potential Scrap metal. Look in your cupboards for unused items like iron skillets, aluminum cookie sheets, and copper or stainless-steel pans. Appliances such as refrigerators and microwaves can be sold as scrap. Don’t forget aluminum cans and beverage containers!

2) Living Room and Bedroom

Old and broken televisions often contain copper and can be scrapped as part of our electronics recycling services. While we don’t pay for these items, just think of the room you’ll save! Steel or aluminum entry doors, lamp bases, and HVAC units are also excellent sources of scrap metal. Window sidings, frames, and gutters made of aluminum can earn you money too.

scrap metal in your home blog graphic by regional recycling shows plumbing, cookware and tire rims as examples of scrap metal
Scrap Metal Recycling

3) Bathroom and Laundry

Electronic devices, washers, and dryers can be valuable sources of scrap metal. Fixtures with copper wiring and pipes in your bathroom can be recycled, and metal shelving in your bathroom or laundry area may be worth something. Please keep in mind that we only pay for non-ferrous metals, and do not pay for appliances.

4) Garden and Patio

That unused patio furniture may be made of wrought iron, which can be sold as scrap. Old lawn tools, metal swings or swing sets, and iron railings are all valuable items that can be recycled at a scrap metal recycling center.

blog graphic for scrap metal in your home shows types of scrap metal you can recycle with Regional Recycling
Money for scrap metal

5) Garage

Your garage is likely home to various items that can be scrapped for money. Rusty tools, nails, screws, bicycles, and even unused cars can all be valuable sources of scrap metal. Be sure to consult with one of our scrap metal specialists to get a quote for your items.

Scrap metal can be found in numerous places around your home. By collecting and recycling these items, you can turn some of them into quick cash. And, even if they are not worth cash, you are supporting a healthy planet. Remember to upcycle and donate lightly used items to help reduce waste and contribute to a circular economy.

By scrapping for cash, you make money and contribute to the recycling effort, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. So, start exploring your home today and uncover the hidden value of your scrap metal!

Regional Recycling is proud to work with the Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR) the not-for-profit organization that manages British Columbia’s recycling program for end-of-life major household appliances. Working on behalf of appliance manufacturers and other regulated producers, MARR helps ensure that unwanted appliances are collected, recycled, and processed responsibly across the province.

Operating under BC’s Recycling Regulation, MARR oversees an approved stewardship program that keeps valuable materials in circulation, ensures environmentally responsible handling of hazardous components, and helps reduce waste sent to landfill. The program is governed by MARR’s Board of Directors and is designed to make appliance recycling convenient, accessible, and environmentally responsible for British Columbians.

In addition to Regional Recycling, there are over 200 certified Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR) collection sites throughout BC that make it easy to recycle responsibly. There is no charge to drop off eligible appliances, and you can be confident that every appliance is processed safely, with recyclable materials recovered and hazardous components handled by licensed professionals.

image for recycle large appliances post shows person in front of garage with old large appiances - text - is one of these taking up space in your garage

You can recycle all of the following residential products with Regional Recycling:

  • Full-size Refrigerators – Refrigerator and refrigerator freezer combinations. Includes built-in and free-standing models.
  • Compact Refrigerators – Refrigerator or refrigerator-freezer combinations that are 6.4 cubic feet or less in volume. Includes beer kegs, wine dispensers and wine coolers.
  • Freezers – Chest, upright, and compact freezers, plus under the counter freezer drawers and ice makers.
  • Window Air Conditioners – Operate through the wall or are window-mounted.
  • Portable Air Conditioners – Can be moved from place to place.
  • Dehumidifiers – Free-standing and can be moved from place to place.
  • Clothes Washers – Top and front-loading. Includes stacked laundry units and those that also dry clothes.
  • Clothes Dryers / Built-In Steam Cleaners – Top and front-loading. Includes stacked laundry units.
  • Dishwashers – Built-in, portable or convertible.
  • Ranges – Can include a surface cooktop and oven.
  • Built-In Ovens – Can have separate warming drawers, combination with microwave oven or double-walls.
  • Surface Cooking Units – Installed into the countertop where the controls are either integrated into the unit or installed separately.
  • Range Hoods & Downdrafts – Can be separate or connected from the cooking unit.
  • Built-In and Over the Range Microwaves – Built-in with or without hood vent combinations permanently installed microwave ovens.
  • Food Waste Disposers – Integrated into the plumbing of a household.
  • Trash Compactors – Permanently installed or portable.
  • Built-in Electric Hot Beverage Dispensers – Mounted under the counter or built-in.
  • Water Coolers – Mounted under the counter or built-in.

To learn more about how to recycle your large appliances with us, please see our large appliance recycling page on our website. We look forward to seeing you at one of our depots!

Please Note: Our Burnaby location does not recycle large appliances due to space restrictions.

 

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