On the outskirts of just about any city or town you visit, you can usually find a scrap yard where people take their recyclable metal pieces in exchange for cash. Whether you take recyclables to the scrap yard on a regular basis or you barely go there at all, you should know there is more to these places than meets the eye. In fact, there are a few good reasons you should visit a local scrap yard beyond just taking in your metal. 

1. Get a rundown of current scrap metal prices when you need it.  

There is no one more versed in current scrap metal price trends than the local scrap yard. The price per pound of recycled metal can fluctuate by the day, or even by the hour in some cases. If you are into metal recycling to make money, it is helpful if you know where the current price trends are before you start gathering and collecting scrap materials. Your local scrap yard will likely provide you with a printout of current prices when asked so you know just where to focus your time. 

2. Look for valuable items people have brought in for recycling. 

Scrap metal centers become the landing place for all kinds of items that people bring in to get extra cash. From parts and components from vehicles like rims and engines to plumbing fixtures like pipes and faucets you can go to a scrap yard and find a long list of items that you may find useful or valuable. Even better, a lot of these places will allow you to buy back the scrap pieces they have taken in for the metal price they just paid out. This means you can get your hands on some things that you may need for a lot cheaper than what you would pay anywhere else. 

3. Organize a fundraising event for a local charity. 

Recycling metal is an excellent way to raise money for your charitable event or organization for a lot of reasons. For one, you will not have to have any money to get started. Secondly, these fundraisers can be quite helpful for the environment, which means a lot of people will be willing to get involved. The local scrap yard will probably be pretty accustomed to helping people organizing fundraising efforts by gathering recyclable metal, so they have a lot of good info to offer.