If you've just had to say farewell to an ageing relative who enjoyed their independence right until the last day, then you may be getting ready to clear out their home and tidy everything up. As they had been living in this property for many a year, they may have accumulated a lot of possessions, and they most likely also held on to some older household appliances. These are certainly long in the tooth, and it seems unlikely that you will be able to sell them to a new home for anything significant, so what are your options? Are they worth anything from a scrap perspective?
Scrap Metal
As most of these appliances are made from sheet steel, there is indeed a good home for them within the scrap metal industry. Many organisations fully appreciate the value of recycled steel, as it only takes about half of the energy required to recycle, as opposed to its original creation. Consequently, the CO2 emission footprint of the product in question is much smaller.
Categorisation
Before those appliances can be broken down into their raw materials, however, they need to be divided according to whether they are ferrous or nonferrous.
Nonferrous metals include aluminium alloys and copper-based materials that are typically non-magnetic or resistant to rust. They will need additional levels of processing before they can be reduced to a usable commodity. Ferrous metals, on the other hand, are usually magnetic and iron-based and are a lot easier to deal with.
Recycling Markets
When the steel is broken down into its original form, it can be easily recycled and will find a market in virtually any part of the world. In fact, it may be used to create a product tomorrow that will also be recycled 10 years from now as part of a continuous cycle.
The aluminium found within your appliances will also find a good home in a number of disparate industries, as will any copper, bronze or brass elements hidden within your appliances. In fact, these will be in great demand due to their durability and resilience.
Asking for Advice
Once you have disconnected and isolated all of the appliances, get in touch with your local scrap metal agent. They will be able to take a look at what you have, advise a course of action and tell you how much cash you could make from recycling your old appliances.