Sahd Metal Recycling is committed to safely recycling every possible metallic item we can. We love to provide our customers with the best prices for their scrap metal and we look forward to serving our customers as reliably as possible.
However, as much as we would like to take every item possible, there are some items that we can not process for environmental or safety reasons. These items are listed on our site under the orange acceptable/unacceptable materials button under our scrap metal price list.
Safety is the first reason we would have for rejecting certain items. Propane containers and gas/fuel tanks of any kind can not be accepted under any circumstance. Additionally, other items that could contain dangerous fluids or even just trap moisture like closed containers, rollers, or items pinched closed on both ends may be brought in and recycled but would fall under a lower priced category due to the fact that they can not be processed by our domestic mills.
Closed containers cause a huge problem for mills. These items and sections of tubing or pipe that are pinched closed on both ends can trap moisture and flammable material. Obviously, containers holding combustible liquids or their fumes will explode long before the scrap itself melts. Preheating sealed material will not prevent this hazard. In fact, there is a risk that a sealed container will explode inside the preheating systems. Operator vigilance is the only preventive measure. Sealed material must never be permitted into the furnace or preheater. Sheared sections of scrap tube and pipe and apparently empty sealed containers may seem less dangerous but can be equally hazardous.
Even though they do not contain combustible liquids, the air inside them can rapidly expand in the heat. In extreme cases, the pressure buildup will be sufficient to breach the container wall or escape through a sheared-closed end. If this occurs, the forceful expulsion of gas can propel the hot scrap out of the furnace or smash it into the furnace lining, causing damage.
This all sounds like a very technical description of what can happen, but we must keep in mind that our friends and neighbors are the hard-working employees that are working in these US Steel mills. They work in these settings where risk must be minimized every day during every shift to allow for each employee to go back home to their families the same way they left them to begin their day.
There are other items that are accepted with conditions. Oil tanks must have a 2 foot by 2-foot hole in them and must be completely drained and dry to be accepted. Other items like conveyor rollers, mufflers, certain car parts, car engines without oil pan, hydraulic items with cylinders and hoses removed can all be accepted if clean and dry but are unable to be sent to mills for processing so they are purchased at a lower price.
Throughout our company history, Sahd Metal Recycling has always led the way to be a part of the solution for a cleaner environment. We have always been very restrictive of the types of items we accept and the level of processing we do in our yard.
We do not accept automobiles for this reason, and for the mercury switch problem, other dealers specialize in this area and are better equipped to recycle your vehicles. Other items, such as refrigerators, humidifiers, heat pumps, and other freon-bearing items can only be accepted with a certified EPA evacuation sticker. We do accept air conditioners for a $10 fee because we have a vendor who comes in and takes the material and evacuates the freon under EPA certification.
Reduce, reuse and recycle is a lifestyle at Sahd Metal Recycling and our commitment to safety and sustainability means that sometimes we have to say no to materials others may take. In the long run, the safety of our employees, our partners at mills and foundries, and the overall health of the environment are more important issues to consider than the financial impact.
