You would be surprised at how many things around the garage you can recycle for money. Whenever I clean out my garage and shed, I collect everything I think might be able to recycle into a container in the shed. I find all kinds of stuff like aluminum, brass, copper, etc. Especially if you have a building project going on.
Recently, I took my barrel of scraps, and I mean most of it would look like junk, to the foundry. You may have a recycle plant near you. I thought, "Well at least they can melt it down and make something with it." I wound up getting $65.00 for my junk and it was not usable. There wasn't even that much there.
Some of the things I collected was a big brass light fixture, left over electrical wire, pieces of copper pipe, copper fittings, an aluminum cot, aluminum lids, etc. I had gone to a garage sale and bought a .10 big aluminum light fixture. It was worth some money in aluminum. I had old aluminum pot lids, and just a bunch of odds and ends. If you ever want to scrap your washer, dryer, etc., make sure you take the motor out first. I got $25.00 for mine. When you go to recycle, you usually do not even have to separate it. They have a couple guys go through it, separate it, price it, and give you ticket to cash in. It is that easy. Some things they simply threw away because it was worthless. This was so effortless. Why throw this stuff away when you can start collecting it for profit!
Here is a list of items RECYCLABLE ITEMS for MONEY... YOU WILL PROBABLY BE SURPRISED.
You probably have some of this around your house, shed, garage, or basement. There is a variance on all of these categories, like clean, unclean, scrap, etc. If it is any of these metals, it is worth something. If you have something that isn't of any worth, they will pitch it for you. Call ahead or go online for a list of recyclables.
These are examples of my local recycling foundry as od March, 2011.
COPPER WIRE $3.70Lb. generators electric motors .15Lb. (This is a good way to get rid of washers, dryers, etc. and make money). Call your local foundry and ask details. Motors are usually worth more if you take them out yourself. Unplug of course. Get a wire cutter and cut motor out of appliance. Keep as much copper wire as possible on motor.
ALUMINUM cans are .63Lb., scrap aluminum is .50Lb., dirty aluminum radiators .45Lb., wire .65Lb. Wheels .65Lb.
BRASS Yellow 1.85LB., Red 2.00Lb.,
WHITE ALLOY Nickel scrap 1.00Lb., Stainless .80Lb.
BRASS
ZINC
LEAD
ELECTRONICS: Hard drives w/board .60Lb., w/o board .20Lb... Power Supply .20Lb... CD Floppy Drives .10Lb... Computer Boards, PC Mother Boards 2.00Lb.
Low Grade, High Grade... Gold Memory Scrap 4.00Lb... Silver Memory Scrap 1.50Lb... Whole Laptops.35Lb... Whole Towers .15Lb... Cell Phones 2.00Lb... Modems, Routers,etc..10Lb... Batteries.
The gold in the components is valuable. That is why there is the demand. Silver is also one of the more valuable metals. Recycle silver, and gold and make money. Copper too.
Electronics, recycle, brass, copper, aluminum, recycle, recyclable, frugal, frugal tips, clean out your shed, garage, basement, money, gold, silver.
My husband and I been married 28 years, I'm a stay-at-home mother of five, and we live on a beautiful three-acre lot with a pond - all on my husband's construction worker's salary - all with no debt.
Want to know more, check out my blog at http://www.homefrugalhome.com/
Anna