List of Things You Can Sell at the Recycling Center
There's a market for almost anything out there that has seen its first useful life ended. Recycling is usually easy and you can earn a few bucks in the process. The most common recyclables are aluminum cans, plastic bottles and paper products, but there's also a market for old electronics equipment and metals. The money paid for products varies with the recycling center; some centers accept items but do not pay for them. Does this Spark an idea?
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Aluminum Cans
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Aluminum cans are among the most frequently recycled items for which money is paid. Cans should be rinsed and can be crushed, according to I Love A Clean San Diego's website, which gives instructions on how to prepare items for recycling. Some states, such as Oregon and Maine, require deposits to be paid on soda and beer cans at the time of purchase. The rinsed cans can be returned to stores for a refund of the deposit. Cans should be rinsed, but not crushed, as recycling machines cannot read bar codes on crushed cans.
Plastic Bottles
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Plastic milk and water bottles are also popular recyclables. The bottles should be rinsed and the lids removed. Some recyclers do not accept all plastic bottles, just as some do not pay for these items. Check the product label to see if it says "CRV" or the bottom of the container to see if it has "Pet1" or 'Pet2" stamped on it; these bottles can be recycled.
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Paper Products
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The National Recycling Coalition lists newspaper and corrugated cardboard at Nos. 3 and 4 of its list of 10 most popular recyclables, while magazines and mixed paper rank 8 and 9. The per-pound rate is usually only pennies, but the weight of these items quickly adds up. Newspapers should be dry and stacked flat; they should not be tired with string. The San Diego group says cardboard should be flattened and the wrapping tape removed.
Metals
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Many recyclers accept used metals, sometimes called scrap. The list of metals includes brass, copper, stainless steel and aluminum. Old metal car parts can be recycled. The metal items usually need to be taken to a recycling center that specializes in metals, as not all recycling centers accept all metals. The amount paid per pound usually depends on world markets.
Other Items
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Other recyclables which can be sold include electronics, such as computers and cell phones, and printer ink cartridges. These products may need to be mailed to the recycler. Some recyclers, such as YouRenew, which accepts old electronics products, and Cash4Cartridges, which accepts empty printer cartridges, will pay shipping charges.
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References
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- Photo Credit recycling image by dbvirago from Fotolia.com
