Has Anyone Recycled For Cash?

[cabinetman]

I replaced 21 aluminum windows, and an awning. $60 doesn't sound like a lot, but it's better than nothing.

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[chopnhack]

Heck yeah, Mike. I had copper scraps leftover from a wiring job several years back and some odds and ends, iron, aluminum, all told about $100, but it beats tossing it in the trash! I kinda make it a point now to make an accumulation pile to take to the junk yard as soon as it exceeds the price of going there.

[charliex]

Clean you will get a better price. You have to remove glass, plastic, whatever is not aluminum from the windows. The increase in value when it's clean is worth the labor. If you don't want to clean it it's still worth finding a metal recycling yard. Before know as a "Junk yard".

[LCHIEN]

I wish they'd regulate the scrap yards around here better. Stealing air conditioning units is rampant here - the thieves come and cut the lines to your compressor and evaporator and haul away the pieces they take and sell to unscrupulous scrap dealers (e.g. they ask no questions as to whether it is broken units or stolen units) for the scrap copper which amounts probably to $50 or $100.

The damage they do is quite huge compared to the booty they reap. It can cost $10,000 to replace an commercial sized A/C and restore the damage they do. Worse, they hit places that are closed at night and weekends or weekdays and isolated - churches, schools, small businesses - places that can ill afford it, and the cruelest thing in Houston it shuts them down completely because the Houston heat is so bad most places are closed (no window ventilation) and become inhabitable w/out AC. These places often have no insurance (especially churches and small businesses in low income areas that seem to get hit most).

Its not uncommon to see heavy-duty chain link fences around external A/C units but even then the thieves cut the fences and steal the units.

[cabinetman]

I wish they'd regulate the scrap yards around here better. Stealing air conditioning units is rampant here

I doubt that around here there could be much control put in place. I take it from your post that you haven't recycled for cash.

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[toolguy1000]

$50 for the 9 window units i removed from the front porch and replaced with energy star rated units. an artist took them for a project he was commisioned for in a park in brooklyn, ny. does that count as recycling?

[LCHIEN]

I wish they'd regulate the scrap yards around here better. Stealing air conditioning units is rampant here - the thieves come and cut the lines to your compressor and evaporator and haul away the pieces they take and sell to unscrupulous scrap dealers (e.g. they ask no questions as to whether it is broken units or stolen units) for the scrap copper which amounts probably to $50 or $100.

The damage they do is quite huge compared to the booty they reap. It can cost $10,000 to replace an commercial sized A/C and restore the damage they do. Worse, they hit places that are closed at night and weekends or weekdays and isolated - churches, schools, small businesses - places that can ill afford it, and the cruelest thing in Houston it shuts them down completely because the Houston heat is so bad most places are closed (no window ventilation) and become inhabitable w/out AC. These places often have no insurance (especially churches and small businesses in low income areas that seem to get hit most).

Its not uncommon to see heavy-duty chain link fences around external A/C units but even then the thieves cut the fences and steal the units.

A few years ago I sold some scrap aluminum from some equipment I'd bought from work.

People are also stealing wiring and plumbing from uncompleted houses.

I think the gist of the regulations they are trying to put in place is so that people can't bring in items and sell them anonymously. The seller must provide ID and tell where he got the material (e.g. legitimate AC contractors will be able to list the place where they removed a non-working unit or demo'ed to get the wiring and piping). It may not stop the occasional thief but a repeat offender will eventually be noticed and convicted of lying at least about the source of his material when its checked.

Like I said the real shame of it is how little the thieves get and how much it costs the victims.

[phrog]

I used to recycle gold crown and bridgework. Does that count?
I'd get about $20 per crown but that was when gold was $400/troy ounce.

[LCHIEN]

I used to recycle gold crown and bridgework. Does that count?
I'd get about $20 per crown but that was when gold was $400/troy ounce.

depends, did you work in a dental office or a mortuary???

[dbhost]

When I worked as a mechanic, when the parts weren't returnable for cores for the customer, I used to sell scrap aluminum from everything from busted cylinder heads to cracked alloy wheels for cash. The scrap yards around here pay cash, and ask no questions, at least that is the way it was way back then. Kids with custom cars and bad driving habits were always a good source. There is a LOT of aluminum in your typical alloy wheel...

[cabinetman]

Clean you will get a better price. You have to remove glass, plastic, whatever is not aluminum from the windows. The increase in value when it's clean is worth the labor. If you don't want to clean it it's still worth finding a metal recycling yard. Before know as a "Junk yard".

I did remove all the glass, and any steel parts. I had to disassemble the windows to do that. I did get a lot of glass that could be used for door inserts. Taking the windows apart made for a more compact load to carry to the recycler.

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[jking]

I have in the past, but, not lately. Aluminum scrap is bought by weight, so it can take a good amount to get a lot of money. There can also be different prices based on what the aluminum came from. Years ago we took in some aluminum siphon tubes. They were considered raw, so we were paid $0.10 more per pound than what was paid for cans. We took in about three pickup loads of tubing.

[phrog]

depends, did you work in a dental office or a mortuary???

I was a dentist and my cousin was a mortician. Fortunately, none of my patients were his customers.
(And the gold I sold came exclusively from my patients.)

[cabinetman]

(And the gold I sold came exclusively from my patients.)

Since it was theirs...did they get a "trade in value"?

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[Richard in Smithville]

There are places around here that advertise that you can drop off old appliances and other scrap metal for free-usually in small roll off bins. Once the bin is full, they haul the scrap out to a recycler and cash in. Works to a great side business if you have the truck.