Gotta Work For It

Recycling can be super easy but sometimes you need put a little work into it to get the best amount of money. Computers must be taken apart down to each component and air conditioning units must be drained of fluid. If you break things down you can get more money and much better rates depending on what types of parts your items have. Some things contain a lot of copper like AC units and copper alone is worth more money then the aluminum that on the unit.

If you do plan on breaking down items to their base components you need to have some sort of organization. Save yourself the head ache of taking things apart just to sort the piles later by getting boxes or crates to separate as you dismantle. I found someone giving away 5 gallon buckets on Craigslist. They came with lids so if they aren't full or I'm not ready to go to the scrap yard I can stack the buckets nicely.

By making the effort you can turn a load of electronics from a $20 profit into a $150 without needing to spend any extra money, just time.

Finding information

Recycling is easy but knowing what you can recycle can be a headache if you don't ask the right questions. As everyone knows you can recycle newspaper, cans and glass bottles. But what about broken electrical cables, random computer parts and old car parts? And where do you take things? Off loading recyclable items is rather easy but if you want to get paid for the items then you need to do some digging.

Many places have started E-waste programs that allow you to drop off certain electronics but they have to meet requirements and it is strictly donation only. Google your area and recycling then start calling around if you don't see a price list or if the items you have aren't on the price list. The prices lists contain information on items or types of metals that the businesses accept and how much they pay you for those items. The most common form of measurement is in pounds.

There is no reason for you to pay to dump items that you are able to recycle. Even if you don't recycle for money you will still save space and money when disposing of the items.

Look around your home

To earn some extra money just look around your house. It seems like everyone has an area either in their house or in their garage where dead items make their way to. Broken counter top appliances, cell phones, batteries game consoles and more. But did you know those items are worth money?

Green curcuit boards can be worth $1 to $4 a pound, copper is between $2.50 and $3.50 a pound and the power cords are at around $1 a pound. If you take apart and seperate out you may have a few dollars or more in broken items. And all the steal that's in those items is about $0.06 a pound.

I know these numbers don't seem like much but when you have multiple items the weight added up fast.

Make money while saving money

Recycling can save you money with your trash bill but also put money in your pocket. But what can you recycle for cash? Stay tuned to find out what trash is valuable in your home.