We all know that aluminum has some value as scrap metal. So what about recycling aluminum wheels for money? This is certainly doable, especially wheels made completely out of aluminum. This is true for motorcycles, bicycles, trailers, cars, SUVs, and trucks; they can all have aluminum or aluminum alloy wheels that are worth scrapping. You can turn an aluminum wheels recycling effort into a decent amount of extra income if you follow a few simple tips. Whether you have a pair of old aluminum wheels to recycle, or a large storage shed full of old car and truck wheels, this information will help you get the best price without an excessive amount of work.
How Much Are Those Old Aluminum Wheels Worth?
The scrap value depends on a few factors. The wheels need to be 100% aluminum. They also need to be clean. As with any scrap metal, the price per pound for recycled aluminum varies. You will find a price of $0.48 to $0.52 per ounce. Recycling aluminum wheels for money is not a huge moneymaker but still worthwhile.
Alloy wheels, usually a combination of aluminum and steel, will be worth less. Steel is much less valuable and separating the steel and aluminum parts will take extra work. Note that wheels made primarily of magnesium also have scrap value, though not all recyclers will take them.
Many wheels are made with a combination of steel and aluminum or steel and magnesium. You can easily verify that an alloy wheel has steel in it by applying a magnet. Magnets stick to steel but not aluminum. Conversely, if a magnet does not stick to any part of the wheel, you know it is aluminum. Magnesium alloy wheels still have scrap value, though far less than aluminum wheels recycling companies.
Getting the Most Value from Aluminum Wheels Recycling
Recycling is not that complicated. You just want to take a few steps before selling your scrap aluminum wheels for money. Here are the standard steps you need to take when recycling wheels.
Clean them thoroughly. Dirt and caked-on grease must be removed so a recycler will logically pay less if they must do all the cleaning.
Remove the tires and any attachments, like lead wheel weights. Remember that old tires are also recyclable in Kentucky and Tennessee. Area recyclers may also pick up those old tires.
Sort them into separate piles. At the very least, separate out the clean aluminum wheels, as these will bring the best price.
Keep a simple inventory of what you have and where it came from: 24 aluminum wheels for cars, 10 aluminum motorcycle wheels, 8 alloy motorcycle wheels, 4 magnesium alloy wheels, and so on. If you intend to scrap the alloy and steel wheels, having separate piles or pallets will help streamline things.
Note that lead wheel weights have some scrap value too. If you have a large stockpile of old wheels to recycle, whether steel, aluminum, or alloy, the value can add up. Plan to save those weights and recycle them separately. All of that sorting and cleaning will be worthwhile in terms of income, and good for the environment.
Shop around to see who pays what if you want to sell old aluminum wheels for money. Aluminum scrap prices are like the scrap prices for any metal- different buyers offer different prices, and prices vary. The good news is that aluminum prices are a lot more stable than prices for things like platinum or palladium. You will not lose thousands of dollars by selling today versus 60 days from now in other words.
Recycling is Good for Business and the Environment
The aluminum in wheels, engine blocks, cylinder heads, and so many other things can come from the ground or from old aluminum parts. Aluminum wheels recycling prevents energy use, water pollution, and air pollution associated with mining bauxite and extracting aluminum metal. For example, recycling a ton of aluminum uses 95% less energy and produces 95% less CO2 pollution than extracting a ton of aluminum from the ground.
The same logic applies to catalytic converters, which use precious metals to clean up an engine’s exhaust, the lead in car batteries, and so on. All those materials are far easier to recover and recycle versus extracting new metal from various ores. Plus, the demand for recycled aluminum, magnesium, and steel is strong.
Recycle Aluminum Wheels for Money and for the Environment
Selling old aluminum wheels for money is a fantastic way to make some extra money while helping the environment. The same is true for lots of automotive parts. After being cleaned, aluminum wheels can bring $0.50 a pound, though you want to prepare them correctly to get the full scrap value. Belanger Catalytic Converter handles lead-acid batteries and aluminum wheels recycling, in addition to recycling old catalytic converters.
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