Buying scrap lead provides an excellent way to reuse and recycle a potentially hazardous product, while simultaneously affording you an excellent opportunity to save money. Many recycling centers and scrapyards throughout the United States will sell their available materials at a reasonable price. Additionally you can purchase scrap lead through online consortia of scrap dealers and recycling centers. Regardless of whether you buy your lead on-site or online, buying scrap lead is a good way to save money and the planet.
Locate your local recycling center using Earth911.com’s “Find Recycling Centers” search engine (see the Resources section). Earth 911 allows you to limit the parameters of your search to a specific city and state, as well as the type of recycled materials. For example, if you want to find a scrap metal yard in Gainesville, Florida, you would type “metal” in the text box labeled “Find recycling centers for” and then “Gainesville, Florida” or “32608” into the text box labeled “zip or address, city, state.”
Contact your local recycling center using the phone number or website provided to you by Earth 911. Ask if they sell scrap metal and if they have any lead available for sale. Not all recycling centers--even metal recycling centers--recycle lead, as it is a somewhat hazardous material, so you might need to contact multiple centers.
Bargain with your local recycling center regarding the cost of their lead for sale. Compare the offering price to the average market price of scrap lead using Recycle in Me’s daily updated metal and scrap price index (see the Resources section).
Tip
Use online scrap and recycled goods dealers such as Recycle in Me and RecycleNet if you wish to expand your searching options. Note that purchasing scrap metal from outside your area may result in costly shipping charges.
Warnings:
- Lead requires safe handling, as it can be a hazardous material if ingested.
Resources
Tips
- Use online scrap and recycled goods dealers such as Recycle in Me and RecycleNet if you wish to expand your searching options. Note that purchasing scrap metal from outside your area may result in costly shipping charges.
Warnings
- Lead requires safe handling, as it can be a hazardous material if ingested.
Writer Bio
Samuel Hamilton has been writing since 2002. His work has appeared in “The Penn,” “The Antithesis,” “New Growth Arts Review" and “Deek” magazine. Hamilton holds a Master of Arts in English education from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Master of Arts in composition from the University of Florida.
Related Articles
