OK, so I just wanted to use both words in a topic, my apologies for the bad pun. It's Friday, I'm drinking some bear after a week of work, and I'm reminded of something I started 3 years ago when I bought my house. My house came with a double car garage, plus work area. It's overkill for me, it's foot print is almost the same as my house (note the carriage house thread a couple weeks back).
Any rate, back when I was renting, I witnessed a strange event while getting ready to head to work one morning. I saw the garbage picking through my trash. It was a bit alarming until I noticed they were just fishing out the aluminum cans. It sort of stuck with me... this was back before the crash and metal prices sank. So when I got my house, I just started crushing and bagging my cans, then stacking them in the garage. The market tanked soon after but I've kept on stashing them. I don't drink that much beer but it does add up over time. I've yet to sell, I guess the investing angle would be not to sell into a down market if you can help it. Sort of like the, coin jar you drop loose change in, it slowly accumulates. One of these years, when things improve, I'll cash it in.
Sorry nothing really earth shattering about recycling for profit, I'm just surprised how many don't bother.
Full disclosure: The author of this post is marginally invested in aluminum(so to speak). Oh, and the beer is nice also.
DIY - beer ingesting and some investing
When I got into ERE I started walking to work, and when I started walking to work I noticed lots of cans around (go figure, I live in an area heavily marketed to college students). So I made collecting pop/beer cans into a little game. Any income from recycling cans in kept 'off the books', i.e. I don't record it in my financial spreadsheet. Then that money becomes my budget for items that I'd be otherwise embarrassed to write down as expenses (usually ends up being pop or fast food). Those expenses don't get recorded either.
Eventually the question comes up - 'do I want this pop bad enough to go pick up another 20 cans?' Laziness usually prevails.
Eventually the question comes up - 'do I want this pop bad enough to go pick up another 20 cans?' Laziness usually prevails.
I'm glad you posted this. I had a thought just the other day -- the U.S. Mint has been debating taking the penny out of circulation for some time since each penny is actually worth MORE than a penny since copper has gone up. Would it be feasible to collect pennies as you do with cans and melt them down and sell them?
I imagine it's probably illegal to destroy currency ... but then again, who would know?
I imagine it's probably illegal to destroy currency ... but then again, who would know?
I don't drink anything out of can, but I have noticed in the past can collectors at work everywhere. I think it has declined and I have no idea what it pays.
I think as well that the money is in scrap copper or iron, but I am thinking it would be large scale to make it worth one's while.
There are certainly plenty of junk yards around here!! So pickup loads of metal must be of value.
I see a lot of metal rusting outside old shops and flea markets.
I think as well that the money is in scrap copper or iron, but I am thinking it would be large scale to make it worth one's while.
There are certainly plenty of junk yards around here!! So pickup loads of metal must be of value.
I see a lot of metal rusting outside old shops and flea markets.
It's sort of ironic, as Jacob said in the book... we spend all this effort and time digging it out of the ground just to turn around and bury it right back in the landfill. I guess, all I had to add was that this "trash" has value, that like the market varies over time.
If you can find ways to gain value from those rusting "pickup loads of metal" it's a positive. Plus in the "green" sense you've done the world a favor heh.
If you can find ways to gain value from those rusting "pickup loads of metal" it's a positive. Plus in the "green" sense you've done the world a favor heh.
@buzz Yes you should be saving old pennies made out of copper. But you shouldn't try to melt them down. Having them in coin form will be much more valuable in future because everybody knows what is contained in the coin easily.
1793–1857 100% copper
1857–1864 88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)
1864–1942 1946–1962 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943 zinc-coated steel (also known as steel penny)
1944–1946 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1974 Experimental aluminum variety
1962–1982 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1793–1857 100% copper
1857–1864 88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)
1864–1942 1946–1962 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943 zinc-coated steel (also known as steel penny)
1944–1946 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1974 Experimental aluminum variety
1962–1982 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)