Preserving the Earth's natural resources is becoming increasingly more important. Manufacturing and refining processes not only use precious resources, they generate pollutants that can damage the environment. Recycling can be a great way to reduce environmental damage and help reduce mankind's reliance on mining for natural resources.
Copper is a material that can easily be recycled, and often generates a profit when being sold to scrap metal buyers. If you want to do your part to help recycle copper wire in your area, here are some great places to start looking for scraps of copper.
1. Construction Sites
You should take the time to get to know general contractors in your area. These contractors work with copper wire on a regular basis when constructing homes and commercial buildings. There are often small scraps of copper wire leftover following the completion of any construction project.
By getting to know general contractors doing business in your area, you can gather these scraps from construction sites and cash them in at a recycling center.
2. Neighborhood Clean-Outs
Many municipal governments host neighborhood clean-outs on a regular basis. These clean-outs are designed to give residents the opportunity to get rid of obsolete or damaged items and green waste for free.
Homeowners will place their unwanted items in a pile at the curb and a government employee will collect the items and take them to the city dump. You can comb through these piles for valuable copper wire and pipes that people have thrown out. Neighborhood clean-outs can be a great resource when it comes to recycling copper.
3. Old Electronics and Appliances
Rather than sending your old electronics or appliances to the landfill intact, you should take the time to strip these items of their copper wires. Copper wiring is commonly used in electronic devices and household appliances to help transmit electricity.
You can ask your friends and neighbors for their old electronics and appliances as well. Many people are willing to let you have these items for free if you dispose of them. You can gather a significant amount of copper wiring to take to your local recycling center by taking the time to strip down appliances and electronic devices before taking them to your landfill for disposal.
Recycling copper is a great way to generate a little extra spending money while doing your part to preserve the environment. Get creative in sourcing copper wire to maximize your recycling efforts.
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