Did you know that you can find scrap metal near you? Did you know there are thousands of people that need to buy scrap metal? Yes to both! Finding scrap metal for reselling is actually a very profitable business. We will highlight 26+ places that you can collect metal scrap near you.

26 Places to Collect Scrap Metal for Reselling

Finding ways to increase your income is paramount for wealth creation. I recently did a post on how to make money flipping phones and that made me realize. There is significant value in the scrap metal in those phones that people are making money off of.

Where else can I find metal scrap near me? Well, I had to find out! We’ve already written about the following reselling guides to help you increase your side hustle income:

1. Best products to flip for a profit
2. How to sell on eBay full-time
3. How to become a sneaker reseller
4. How to make money flipping websites

Scrap metal collection is a booming and profitable business. Scrap metal demand is rising as the need for recycling rises. When scrap metals are used as raw material, it can help us preserve our environment.

If you’re interested in this business but have you’re wondering “where can I get metal scrap near me”

Well… In this article, we will explore where to find scrap metal for free and how to make money by reselling them. Becoming a junk reseller isn’t the hottest trend in the world, but it certainly isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s a great way to start making money now.

Also, I know a few people that made the collecting scrap metal side hustle into a full-time business. All you need to do is start small, reinvest cash flow for further scale and repeat.

How to Make Money Selling Scrap Metal

Scrap metal is everywhere, and if you look hard enough, you can collect scrap metal and make a decent income reselling them. The earnings usually depend on whether the metal is ferrous or non-ferrous.

Non-ferrous metal scraps can fetch you more money than ferrous ones because of their properties and are more difficult to come by.

Non-ferrous metals have desirable properties including higher conductivity, low weight, non-magnetic and resistant to corrosion. The scrap yard dealers that buy the scrap metals weigh them and can pay you per ton.

If you’d like to get into the scrap metal business, follow a few simple steps to ensure you can build a sustainable business and make money.

1. Ensure you buy at the lowest possible price (free is always best of course)
2. Make sure you understand what people pay for scrap metal prices
3. Sell to the right buyer of the scrap metal
4. Stay disciplined in your gross margin (i.e., revenue less cost of acquisition)
5. If you find something that is working, grow it by hiring outside help (you don’t need to be the person collecting the metals)
6. Continue to move up the value chain

But how do you know what are good scrap metal prices? Here is how to get cash for metal.

Scrap Metal Prices Overview

One of the biggest components to create a scrap metal reselling business is that must monitor and know scrap metal prices on a daily basis, especially if you have a significant amount of salvaged equipment. People are willing to buy and sell anything.

Metal is continually recycled. It needs to be. We use so much metal in our electronics and other products and it’s simply too hard to produce.

Thus, we need to recycle it. Therefore, there are plenty of places that are willing to pay a premium for scrap metal just so it can be repurposed.

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List of 26+ Places to Find Scrap Metal

A lot of people wonder, where can I buy scrap metal near me? So, here are some of the best places to find scrap metal near you:

1. Search Your House

When I ponder of where I can get scrap metal, the first place to find metal scrap near me would be in the house. Everyone uses different items that can be scrapped if they are old or worn out.

If you look keenly in your house, you can be sure to find a few items that you no longer use and that can be scrapped. You can collect those scrap metals and take them to a scrap yard near you.

2. Sheds and Garages

Another place to find cheap scrap metal is to search in your basement, garage and shed of friends, family, and neighbors. Ask them to give them to you as a way to help them clean up or can sell them to you at a reasonable cost.

A lot of items that act as kitchen appliances are made of steel, aluminum, brass and copper and thus can be used as scrap metal.

3. Machine Shops

If you visit machine shops near you, you may find metal scraps. The bigger machine shops sell their scrap metal to dealers, but you may be able to get some. Try to give them a competitive price offer which may give them a reason to sell the scrap to you.

4. Junkyards and Dumpsites

Another place to collect scrap metal is in the junkyards and dump sites. Some junkyards can give you scrap metals for free while others will give them to you but at a fee. There are plenty of different scrap metal recycling yards around you. However, you will likely need to pay money for these whereas the other options you can obtain them for free.

5. Scrap Metal Companies

You can also get scrap metal from the scrap metal facilities. They usually buy local scrap metal for reselling and sometimes they reform them into standard sizes to sell to machine shops and metal companies. Thus, you can get scraps of all sizes and shapes. There are actually people that have made large businesses from this. You basically become a metals trader.

6. Garage Sales around your neighborhood

Sometimes the households get rid of some of their belongings at a small price. Be on the lookout for garage sales around you and bargain for items that could be worth more as scrap. Look for items such as electronics, workout equipment among other items. Also, Craigslist has a lot of products that people are basically giving away for free.

7. Community Clean-Ups

If you participate in community clean-ups, you may be lucky to come across aluminum rims among other wrecked car parts lying around. Check with your town and find out when the next clean up happening.

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8. Bulk Garbage Day

In a majority of cases, the garbage collectors have bulk material pickup day which can be another great way to walk away with scrap metals. Homeowners place the items that they want to get rid of in the curb the night before, and thus you can find some free scrap to take. Check around for items such as AC units, grills, fridges among others.

9. Website/Online sources

To get metal scrap near me, I would also consider searching the internet. A majority of scrappers use online sites such as Craiglist to look for people who are trying to get rid or selling items. You may find some local giveaways around your area where you can buy cheap scrap metals and cash in on it.

10. College Campuses

Another place to get scrap near you is to look at college campuses. College students often clean up their hostels and apartments, and they throw away some “ugly furniture” such as broken TVs, lamps, and shelving units and more.

11. Festivals/Events

During the festivals, events and other fairs, scrappers can collect a bulk amount of aluminum cans. Find out if there any events happening around you, you can get a substantial amount of scrap and bag a few dollars by reselling them.

12. Recreation Centers

In recreation centers, you can find some scrap from old sports equipment such as old aluminum lacrosse sticks, and aluminum bats among others. You may get some free scrap while helping them get rid of the old and worn-out equipment. Always consult with the owners to get their permission before you collect any item.

13. Local area Homeowners & Residents

Another great place to look for scrap metals is from residents and homeowners.  They could have items such as air conditioners, bedframes, appliances and lawn furniture among others.

You can let people know your services by marketing your scrap pick up business to the people around you.

14. Mobile apps

Apps are also great resources that you can make use of when searching for scrap metals. An app like iScrap can be of great help in helping you find the closest scrap yards around you as well as reporting your prices.

15. Restaurants

Stainless steel equipment is usually found in restaurants because of their ease of use and cleanliness. In a majority of cases, you can find restaurant equipment that has worn out and is no longer in use such as refrigerator, countertops, and oven among other appliances.

16. Bakeries

In bakeries, you can also get a lot of stainless steel equipment similar to kitchens. They also have stainless steel or aluminum racks and shelving.  Stainless steel is used in Bakeries mostly because it is easy to clean and food rarely sticks on it.

17. Car and Aerospace industry

Stainless steel is also often found in equipment and parts in engines, and airplanes because of its heat resistance property. It is strong and can withhold very high temperatures so it is used in testing engines or when a lot of friction is formed.

18. Kitchens

In kitchens, you are also likely to come across equipment made of stainless steel such as dishwashers, sinks, cooking trays, pots and pans among other appliances. In schools where there is a kitchen, you can check around and may get some older pots that are no longer in use that you can resell and make money.

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19. Railings and abandoned buildings

If there is a railing or an abandoned house around you, you can take a look around and collect some metal scrap. Most structures have stainless steel items including benches, door handles, and railings among others. Be sure to get permission from the owner if it is private property or the from the person in authority.

20. Construction and Renovation Sites

Find contacts of renovation and construction tradespeople including HVAC repair technicians, plumbers, and electricians and establish networks with them. Ask them to give you leads or to let you know when they have any scrap metal that they would like to get rid of.

21. Local Businesses and Offices

Businesses can scrap computers and other tools that have broken down. Move around and leave a business flyer that helps advertise your business to the offices and businesses around you.

22. Electronic repair shops

In electronic repair shops, you are likely to find monitors and screens that are beyond repair. Most often, scrap yards don’t accept monitors because they are hard to recycle, but you can cut off wires and transformers that are attached to the base of the computer monitors and TVs instead.

You can get insulated wires that are also attached in items such as DVDs players, VCRs, laptops and desktop towers and more. Use scissors or nose pliers to cut them off and resell them in a scrap yard.

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23. Artisanal Joints and welding businesses

Artisans and welders use metal as they craft their tools. Find joints near you that are involved in metal works and find out if you can get some cheap scrap metals. In welding businesses, you can collect also collect some cheap metal scraps.

24. Farms and Ranches

In farms and ranches, you can find scrap metals. If you live near a farming area or a ranch, visit the place and find if you can collect some free scrap metals. They may have left old machinery, cars among other items rusting away and so it is an ideal place to collect scrap metals.

25. Shooting Ranges

Public, as well as private shooting ranges also may have brass shells gathered to sell to recycling plants. You may go and negotiate with them and get cheap discharged shells as scrap to resell.

26. Hospitals, medical clinics, assisted living centers and clinics

In medical practices and hospitals, you can find all sorts of scrap items including walkers, wheelchairs, beds and other appliances. Create a network with the administrators in such institutions and let them know about your scrap business.

Conclusion on Scrap Metal Near Me

It’s a dirty job but somebody’s gotta do it. If you have been pondering, “where can I collect metal scrap near me?’ I hope this list has offered you some useful insights.

It is vital to ensure that you have put in the safety measures such as wearing protective eyewear, gloves and headgear and also be sure to register your business.

Where will you consider collecting scrap metal? Will you become a junk collector? Please let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.

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• 28+ ways to get free Amazon gift cards

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