Scrap Is No Longer Crap: Metal Recylcing Gets Its Due

In the Metal Recycling Business, It’s Loud, Dirty and Suddenly Lucrative - NYTimes.com

"It is a very good time for anyone involved in the scrap-metal business. People who collect scrap metal and take it to recycling facilities are getting higher rates for their deliveries. In turn, metal-recycling companies are selling more scrap metal, particularly to customers in China, India and other developing nations, who are paying record prices. A.R.C. Metal Recycling has recently been selling its scrap steel for close to $500 a ton, more than double the price it received a year ago."

There was a time when old cars and whatnot were simply driven, dragged or otherwise transported to a backroad somewhere and given the heave-ho over the side. Growing up in Oregon, I used to see many abandoned cars while walking in the hills (that was, when I wasn't stumbling into some dude's pot farm).

Anyways, metal now equals money. The above story tells the tale of just how lucrative the business has gotten. You've read stories on ACATT in the past about guard rails, manhole covers and catalytic converters are being stolen for their scrap value. Things are only going to become worse as metals become even more precious. Unfortunately not all metal recyclers are helping to curb this trend. I'll give you an example. Recently a relative wanted to sell several tons of scrap. He dropped his first load off at a recycler and after showing his driver's license, they issue him a check. Then he heard about another recycler that was paying much more per ton. When he dropped his second load at this recycler, there were no questions asked and he was handed cold, hard cash. Where else could someone foist over stolen goods so easily?