Are you a recycler?

[Rock Sinders]

I started stomping on the aluminum cans and tossing them in a big plastic garbage can. When it's full I take it up to my daughters house in Ft Collins and the grandson and I go to a large metal scrapyard to cash them in. That garbage can when full of flattened cans is around 16 pounds. You only get 50 cents a pound, so that's 8 dollars for the grandsons piggy bank. The effort is more about taking a visit to the scrapyard, because the grandson likes machinery of all kinds. One thing I noticed when looking online at the prices payed for aluminum cans by each state is different and California pays way above most all the other states.

Aluminum Can Prices by State 2025

worldpopulationreview.com

Nice story. That's the way to do it! I'm glad this forum has so many recyclers on it. Here, there's places in town that are nothing but litter. Just awful. It gets me quite worked up enough to down there and bag the stuff. Keep rockin'.

 

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[Rock Sinders]

Let me clarify...... it was a general response by me...
if there is the ability to recycle plastics out on the beach... then i will put plastics in recylcler IF they have one as I come off the beach...
Anything i dig i am responsible for.... as is everyone else so... if there is a drop off for plastics then so be it... if not i put it in the trash.

I do not take the recycling home found elsewhere... unless its copper or brass bits.

But... at my home.... Yes.... I recycle everything possible... including plastics.

Yeah it sounds like you've got a system down. maybe aeven a habit-forming thing which makes good sense.
When I'm out, I can't stand litter bugs and carry a bag with me, so I can find the nearest trash can, or take the good stuff home. All what we do is not for lazy people.

 

[Rock Sinders]

I used to be a scrapper years back when I had my weld shop. I had some 55 gallon steal drums out back and as I had scrap ,I would toss it into the drum and sell when the value was hi ! I hardly ever tossed any metal that I could use in my next project unless it was just to small. Now I just recycle my trash.

Right. Makes sense to me. I guess you're going to have that incoming scrap rotating in and out, so it makes sense to make a choice that works for you.

 

[Rock Sinders]

I use them to hold the hundreds of oxen shoes I've found over the years. Why I save them is a mystery! Probably too rusty and grungy to sell as scrap.

I wonder if a local museum might want a bunch for historical reasons. It's so hard to figure out where the value is in non-precious metals sometimes. We got the farm that's over 130 years old and the stuff we find there is worthless but so historical. Man, if these artifacts could talk.

 

[Rock Sinders]

I have three 5 gallon buckets for scrap metals (brass, copper and lead) the pull tabs, bottle caps, cans, and iron I dig just goes in the trash can at the end of each hunt.,

Sounds like me

 

[Rock Sinders]

I recycle using kitty litter buckets

Good buckets if it's the one's I know of. They got the handles. I catch rain in mine. Use them for the garden

 

[Rock Sinders]

I save any brass and copper I find metal detecting to scrap later on. I also grab scrap metal off of trash in my neighborhood. Mainly aluminum ladders and brass and copper pipes. I used to pick up vacuum cleaners and fans for their motors, but don't bother any more because most of the newer motors have copper plated aluminum wire, which isn't worth jack squat.

For sure not worth the space they take up.

Well aluminum cans are a pretty much a thankless effort. However, I've had to learn the hard way. To wear good gloves, crush them flat, keep bagging them, and cash them in at the end of the season. When I bring 20 lbs or so in, they give me a fair return on them. Do it again next time...

 

[Rock Sinders]

My detecting scrap iron goes to a guy who is a scrapper. It gives him a little extra income.
I repurpose or recycle whatever I can. We are allowed 2 trash cans (street-side) per week which is 4 large trash bags. We put out one bag per week and it is never full.
I look at packaging when purchasing. I refuse to buy some items because of the container waste.

Good on you!

 

[KYgotGOLD]

Well aluminum cans are a pretty much a thankless effort. However, I've had to learn the hard way. To wear good gloves, crush them flat, keep bagging them, and cash them in at the end of the season. When I bring 20 lbs or so in, they give me a fair return on them. Do it again next time...

I crushed them with rocks in some

 

[Trezurehunter]

Yes, I just recycle (scrap) Copper metal. I usually average $600 to $700 per year. I give all other scrap metals to my friend who takes in everything. Like ARC, I also recycle things like paper and plastics. (Those items just don't pay me anything) !

 

[Rock Sinders]

Yes, I just recycle (scrap) Copper metal. I usually average $600 to $700 per year. I give all other scrap metals to my friend who takes in everything. Like ARC, I also recycle things like paper and plastics. (Those items just don't pay me anything) !

That is awesome even if you don't get any money from recycling. Keep going. We recycle everything in the household. When it comes to MD'ing I only do around $200 a year on average. Still lots of fun and enjoy cleaning up this trash heap neighborhood lol.