There are different metal items in your home that can be recycled repeatedly without loss of intrinsic structural strength. You can choose to dispose these items in landfills, keep them in the property or present them for recycling. The benefits of recycling include lowering the demand of raw materials from natural ores and reducing energy consumption since recycled materials require less processing. In addition, you can earn some money by selling the metal to scrap yards or recycling companies.

Here are the different types of metals in your property that you can recycle particularly after home improvement projects:

Copper

Copper is a fully-recyclable metal so you should never dispose any piece that you find in your home. Moreover, this material is very valuable. You can earn some money by collecting objects made of it. Generally, copper has a reddish-brown colour when it is in good condition.

The metal will turn darker as it ages and you may notice some greenish substance in some sections. You will find copper in the structure of the home installed as plumbing pipes and fixtures, gutters and as electrical wires underneath insulation.

You should be keen when renovating your house so that you can collect all the pieces. Furthermore, it is advisable to separate different kinds of copper before presenting it to recyclers. Brass is a copper and zinc alloy so the material is relatively valuable. The metal is used to manufacture handles, plumbing fixtures and keys.

Aluminium

Cans are probably the most popular aluminium materials recycled from homes. However, there are also several different structural features in the building made from this metal. Aluminium is whitish-silver in colour and it is typically very ductile. You should note that the material is not worth a lot of money compared to an alternative like copper but you can collect a lot more in terms of quantity.

Common features made from aluminium include the structural gutters, window and door frames and even siding. Additionally, aluminium foil packaging can be reprocessed into mechanical components like engine parts.

Steel

Steel is one of the most commonly used metals in residential construction and manufacture of household products. The metal contains iron so you can identify the material using a magnet. You will find the material in many places including shelves, window grilles, metal chairs, roofing, cabinets and the car. Unfortunately, the general availability means that the potential earnings from recycling are not high unless you have a large collection. Still, you can contribute to a greener planet by collecting all the available pieces.

Contact a company like Collins Recycling to learn more.

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