1. Aluminum and Aluminum Cans
Recycling metals like aluminum and aluminum cans can be a great way to make money. It fetches an average of $0.15 – $0.50 per pound.
2. Copper Wiring and Copper Tubing
Copper wiring and tubing are some of the most valuable items to scrap. They can earn $4.00/lb.
3. Brass
Scrapping brass offers a great return on investment at $2.30 to $2.75 per pound. It’s easy to find and durable, making it an ideal material for recycling.
4. Iron
Iron is abundant, durable, and easy to recycle yielding a decent return at $87.00/ton or $0.0435/lb.
5. Stainless steel
Resistant to corrosion and easy to recycle, it’s the perfect choice for money-savvy scrap collectors at $0.23/lb.
6. Lead
Heavy, malleable, easy to cast, and at about $1.00/lb it’s a great choice for scrap collectors.
7. Platinum Jewelry and other Precious Metals
Scrapping platinum jewelry and other precious metals is incredibly lucrative with platinum being over $990/oz, gold at $1,886/oz, and silver over $22/oz.
8. Used appliances
From supplying spare parts to reselling for refurbishment, there are plenty of ways to make money from used appliances.
9. Old tools
Old tools can be good to scrap for money due to their metal content, including steel and iron. If the tools are in decent shape, you may also be able to resell them.
10. Computer Parts
From small parts like cables and memory to entire machines, there’s always potential for profit.