recycle scrap metal junk pickup

Recycle Scrap Metal in NWA

Valet Trash Professionals understands that knowing how to recycle scrap metal in Northwest Arkansas can be confusing. As a locally owned company, we understand the needs of our community and want to meet the needs of our neighbors when it comes to junk removal. That’s why we’re happy to offer this information to help you make the best decision when it comes to recycling and disposal.

Should I Recycle Scrap Metal?

The short answer is yes. You should recycle scrap metal. Here’s why.

The most critical thing to note is that the value of diverting waste from landfills is in the preservation of natural resources. When we recycle, we reduce the amount of raw material needed for making new products.

Metals recycling is an established, globally competitive industry that provides essential secondary raw material for metals manufacture, which in turn enables a significant reduction in use of energy and virgin resources.

-Recyclemetals.org

While some materials, such as plastic, can be continually produced, metal is in limited supply! When you choose to recycle scrap metal, you are an active participant in preserving our planet’s natural resources! You need to be aware of your alternatives for getting rid of old furniture if you’ve just upgraded your living room furniture or simply need to get rid of that old couch that has been lying in storage for too long. See Couch Removal in Northwest Arkansas in our article.

Are All Metals the Same?

No, not all metals are the same. OSHA explains that “Scrap metals, in general, are divided into two basic categories: ferrous and nonferrous. Ferrous scrap is metal that contains iron, while nonferrous metals are metals that do not contain iron.”

It is easy to identify whether your scrap metal is ferrous or nonferrous. If it sticks to a magnet, it’s ferrous. If it does not stick to a magnet, it is nonferrous. Different types of metals are recycled into to metal for different purposes.

When you take a moment to look around, you’ll realize that metal is present in so many parts of our lives. From the cars that we drive to the appliances in our homes, metal plays a critical role! We have the privilege of recycling the scrap metal from our lives so that it can be responsibly recycled into new items.

Fun Fact About Recycling Scrap Metal

Copper

The United States is the second-largest producer of copper, which is mined from copper ores and recovered through recycling. Copper can be recycled without any loss in quality. As a result, nearly just as much copper is recovered through recycling as is derived from newly mined ore. –Renewable Resources Coalition

Steel

Steel has one outstanding characteristic: it can be endlessly recycled without its material qualities being compromised. The iron atoms are indestructible, and by melting scrap metal it is simple to get the atoms to arrange themselves in a new, regular way to form new steel with new properties. –Jernkontoret

Aluminum

Aluminum is recycled through a variety of programs. The most commonly recognized consumer programs are curbside and municipal.  In these programs, items like beverage cans, aluminum foil, aluminum baking trays and pie pans are recycled. The aluminum industry actively supports the Recycling Partnership, which is a program dedicated to increasing participation in curbside recycling programs and to measure this growth using solid data. Within the industry, building and automotive parts are collected for recycling. More than 90 percent of the aluminum in building and automotive parts is recycled at the end of use. All of these items serve as a feedstock and are sent to aluminum recyclers to be melted down in the secondary production process. –Aluminum.org

metal scrap

Can I Make Money Recycling Metal?

Maybe. Different metals can fetch different prices, but all metal you take for recycling is paid by weight, and, by and large, that amount is quite low. For example, one pound of mixed metal may only fetch you two cents. The same goes for other scrap metal that you may need to dispose of when doing home renovations, estate cleanouts, or general clean up. In order to make a lot of money, you would need very large amounts of metal.

Old vehicles and metal structures may contain a lot of scrap metal, but removing these items, sorting the recyclable materials, and delivering them to the proper location can be arduous.

So perhaps the best question to ask yourself is if the time and effort involved in breaking down, loading up, hauling away, and delivering scrap metal to a designated recycler are worth the DIY project.

Should You Hire a Professional for Scrap Metal Removal?

If you care about diverting scrap metal from the landfill, supplementing secondary metal supplies, and preserving natural resources, then you should definitely recycle scrap metal! But if the big task of doing this yourself is daunting, it may be time to call in the pros. The proper professionals will be able to assess the situation and make a plan for the safe demo, sorting, and hauling. When it comes to big jobs, the proper tools are invaluable.

Who is Valet Trash Professionals?

We are Valet Trash Professionals, but you can call us VTP. We’re your locally-owned full-service junk removal and valet trash company. Owner, Kyle McCarty, has more than 15 years of experience in municipal trash and recycling, valet trash, personal junk removal, and demolition. He and his team work hard to serve the Northwest Arkansas community.

We are always happy to answer your calls, texts, and messages. That’s how we can best learn how to serve you, our client. We understand that every job is unique and we believe you deserve the best service every time. That’s why you can always trust us to be honest and work hard.

When it comes to recycling scrap metal, we have the knowledge, equipment, and manpower to get the job done!

We utilize our relationships with local partners to recycle scrap metal when possible. We do this because we care about the environment and responsible disposal and recycling. We do not buy your scrap metal or offer credit for any scrap metal during junk removal because the additional logistics and handling of the metal for recycling exceeds the resell value.

What Does VTP Recycle?

VTP works hard to sort certain items for appropriate recycling. For example, we sort out the following items from our junk removal jobs.

Appliances

Valet Trash Professionals is a full-service junk removal company. That means that we do it all for you. You don’t have to move appliances to the curb for us to pick up. No way! All you have to do is show us where the item is and we do all the work! When we haul your old appliances away, you can rest easy knowing that we recycle them appropriately. For instance, appliances such as refrigerators contain Freon. In the case of Freon appliances, special care must be taken.

We’ve got a great blog full of tips for disposing of and recycling your old appliances. In it, you will find lots of great resources including these tips on how to safely remove a large appliance from your home if you want to do it yourself.

  • Unplug the appliance and properly disconnect from electricity, gas, or water as applicable. Consult the owner’s manual or a trusted source for how to do this properly.
  • Allow time for the appliance to cool or drain before moving.
  • Empty the appliance of all items such as food and accessories.
  • Secure door, drawers, and racks to prevent personal injury or property damage.
  • Ask for help and use a dolly, as large appliances are much too heavy to be safely moved alone.

If you DIY the removal of these items yourself, you may be able to take advantage of a bulky waste event in your community. The City of Fayetteville, in particular, offers a few bulky waste disposal events throughout the year. In these scenarios, you are required to deliver any and all items to the disposal location yourself. They do accept appliances such as washers, dryers, hot water heaters, refrigerators, and stoves, but keep in mind that “only one Freon-bearing appliance is accepted for free, per household.  Additional appliances are $20 each to cover Freon removal.” The metal from appliances gathered at these events is recycled.

These local events can be a great option for the Do-It-Yourselfer and we are fortunate to live in a community that knows the value of recycling!

If hauling that old fridge, washer, or dryer out yourself doesn’t sound like a good time, we don’t blame you. You may find it well worth hiring a professional like VTP to lift, load, haul and recycle your old appliances.

Electronics and Televisions

Old televisions and outdated electronics have at least some metal parts or casings. Our team of junk removal experts is happy to haul away your old electronics individually or as part of a larger junk removal job. Our expertise does not lie in the dismantling of these items, but we have a great partner who knows just what to do! So we DO NOT throw your old TVs in the landfill. We understand that old televisions, especially, can be large, bulky, heavy, and difficult to move. That’s why we send our team to do all the heavy lifting for you. Please don’t worry about removing such items from your home, as we are happy to pick them up wherever they are. We then save them for recycling with an expert that knows how to responsibly handle them. If you are interested in trying to recycle electronic waste yourself, we do have a great local option.

Boston Mountain Solid Waste District offers various recycling options for Northwest Arkansas residents, including e-waste. They will accept “flat-screen TVs, VCRs, DVDs, stereos, computer systems or single flat-screen monitor or tower ” for $5.00 each. Older tube-style televisions and monitors are accepted for a $10 fee. Non-freon appliances are accepted for free. Pick-up is not available. Please take note of their hours of operation and drop off locations.

appliance removal fayetteville ar

Scrap Metal

We often encounter scrap metal when clearing out and cleaning up outdoor spaces. Swingsets, trampolines, fencing, and other objects are often made of metal that can be recycled. When loading items from a cleanout job into our dumpsters, we most often take the scrap metal back to our facility where it is safely sorted and stored for recycling via the appropriate avenue.

What Cities Does VTP Serve?

Our offices are centrally located in Elm Springs, AR. That puts us in the perfect position to meet the junk removal needs of all of Northwest Arkansas. We are happy to serve these towns and cities.

  • Fayetteville
  • Springdale
  • Rogers
  • Bentonville
  • Bella Vista
  • Farmington
  • Prairie Grove
  • Huntsville
  • Gravette
  • Siloam Springs
  • West Fork
  • Elkins
  • Goshen
  • Lowell
  • Bethel Heights
  • Little Flock

If you have junk that needs to go or want to recycle scrap metal and don’t see your city on the list, just give us a call! We’ll get to you if we’re able and if we’re not then we’ll do our best to point you in the right direction!

How Does Full-Service Junk Removal Work?

VTP makes junk removal as easy as 1, 2, 3!

  • FIRST, schedule your appointment. To make this as easy for you as possible, we offer several convenient options. You can click book now to make your appointment. If you’d rather, you’re welcome to call or text us at (479) 236-4981. We understand that your time is valuable, that’s why in many cases we are able to offer same-day appointments. If you’re planning ahead and would like to schedule your junk removal or make plans for us to haul off and recycle scrap metal, we are happy to accommodate your schedule.
  • SECOND, our team will send you a text when we’re on our way. You can always count on our team to arrive promptly! We’ll take a look at the items to be removed and provide you with a free, no-obligation quote.
  • THIRD, we get to work! Once you approve our quote, our team gets right to the job! We have the manpower, trucks, trailers, and equipment to get the job done. We work efficiently to remove the necessary items from your home, business, or property and load them into out truck for disposal or recycling.

Call Valet Trash Professionals today to schedule your junk removal appointment! (479) 236-4981

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