FAQs About Scrap Yard Services

If you have old metal products you no longer use, or if your company has waste metal due to manufacturing or construction efforts, you can generate additional profit by selling the metal to a scrap yard. Sikora Metals is based in Detroit, and we offer scrap yard services to recycle your metal. Here are answers to several frequently asked questions about scrap yard services:

What Kinds of Scrap Are Accepted?

The material sold to a scrap yard is provided to manufacturers, who use the scrap to make new products. The yard may have lists of the type of scrap they accept for their customers. Sikora Metals accepts both ferrous and non-ferrous materials:

  • Ferrous: Ferrous metal refers to metal that contains iron, such as steel, cast iron, and sheet iron. Air conditioners, dishwashers, and car parts contain ferrous materials. The list of ferrous materials we accept includes appliances, drums and motors, structural steel, and busheling.
  • Non-ferrous: Non-ferrous metal does not have iron. Electronics and batteries use non-ferrous metal. We accept aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, radiators, transmissions, and other non-ferrous materials.

Entire vehicles can also be sold for recycling. We weigh the vehicles on the state-certified truck scale and pay a set price per pound. The cars can be in any condition. When bringing a vehicle to the yard, bring the vehicle’s title and your state-issued identification with you. Make sure to remove all garbage from within the car as well. The full lists of acceptable and unacceptable materials are located on our website.

Do I Need to Sort the Materials Before Selling? 

Sorting the scrap and placing the sorted material into separate bins helps make the recycling and selling process more efficient. This allows you to discard materials your recycling partner does not accept, such as burnt copper wire. The yard may require the separation of ferrous and non-ferrous materials. Several ways to identify ferrous and non-ferrous material include:

  • Magnet test: Place a magnet against the metal. If the magnet sticks, it is ferrous.
  • Color: Aluminum, brass, and copper are non-ferrous metals. Aluminum is silver, brass is yellow, and copper is reddish.
  • Texture: Cast and wrought iron can be identified by their texture. Cast iron is rougher, while wrought iron has a smoother surface.

Sikora Metals offers space to sort and clean scrap on-site. We provide free metal appraisals and help our customers maximize the value of their scrap. Our complimentary metal evaluation also includes assistance in planning how to sort and transport your scrap.

What Transportation Services Are Available?

There may be times when you do not have the vehicles or the time to transport a large amount of scrap to a yard. Depending on the metal dealer, scrap metal transportation may be available to pick up and transport your waste metal to the yard. A transportation staff can help prepare and load the scrap items.

Sikora Metals has a fleet of vehicles that helps transport a variety of scrap items. We use roll-off containers, semi-trucks, flatbed containers, and dump trailers. When needed, we provide dump hoppers, bins, drums, and pallets, and we bring equipment to the pickup site to help load materials. Our dispatch supervisor will provide frequent updates on arrival times. We do not charge fees for roll-off container rental and do not require payment upfront for trucking.

What Are Container Services?

A construction or demolition site tends to generate a significant amount of scrap metal. Your nearby scrap yard can provide your company with containers to store your scrap metal. A dispatch driver and team will drop off and remove the containers for you.

Sikora Metals provides this service for businesses of all sizes. An account representative will help you determine the number and size of containers appropriate for your company’s scrap generation. Our dumpsters range from 30 yards to 80 yards. After picking up the container, we will create an itemized list of the materials in it and pay accordingly. You will have the choice of being paid after each load or on a weekly or monthly basis.

What Kind of Identification Is Required To Sell Scrap?

To sell metal to a yard, you will typically need to show identification, such as a driver’s license. Some states require metal dealers to take sellers’ fingerprints for their records. Sikora Metals takes the seller’s thumbprint and requires them to sign a document that confirms that they are the owners of the scrap they are selling. These regulations help us prevent fraudulent transactions.

Seek Scrap Yard Services With Sikora Metals

We help industrial businesses and individuals develop recycling plans to dispose of excess scrap. Sikora Metals services various areas around Michigan, including Warren, Wayne County, Berkley, Fraser, and Troy. We are open on weekdays and Saturdays. To learn more about our services and receive pricing information, we invite you to call or email us today.