So you want to start recycling scrap metal for extra money? This can be a lucrative venture, and many of our customers here at Encore also consider it a fun hobby. The best way to get the most out of scrap metal recycling is to understand a bit about the process before you start recycling metal, so here's a quick primer just for you.
Spoiler alert: NO! We saw a disturbing video of a man advocating the burning of insulated copper wire, purportedly to qualify the wire as Copper #2, which brings a higher sale value when sold as scrap than insulated wire. Please don't do this.
Did you know that aluminum used to be considered such a rare and precious commodity that Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew, had a rattle and other toys made of aluminum, as a status symbol? Even though aluminum is the third most abundant element in the Earth's crust, at the time it was extremely difficult to produce. In fact, aluminum was selected as the material to use for the 100-ounce capstone of the Washington Monument in 1884, a time when one ounce cost the daily wage of a common worker on the project. The capstone, which was set in place on December 6, 1884, was the largest single piece of cast aluminum at the time.
