: These are usually the first stop after the yard. Smelters use massive furnaces to melt down scrap—like copper wiring or aluminum siding—removing impurities to create pure metal ingots, bars, or coils.
: Foundries buy processed ferrous metals (iron and steel) to cast them into specific parts for machinery, appliances, and building materials. Steel mills often use electric-arc furnaces to turn old car frames and rebar into high-quality new steel products. who buys metal from scrap yards
: Recycled aluminum and steel are staples for making car doors, engine blocks, and transmission parts. : These are usually the first stop after the yard
When a scrap yard takes in a load of old copper piping or steel beams, it isn't the final destination. Scrap yards serve as critical in a massive global supply chain that transforms "trash" into raw materials for new products. Steel mills often use electric-arc furnaces to turn
Once a yard has sorted, cleaned, and often shredded or baled its inventory, it sells it to these heavy-hitting industrial players: