Houston Curbside Recycling vs. Scrap Metal Recycling

Many people think that recycling is recycling: no matter how you do it, you are putting in a bit of effort to help the environment. In reality though, there are different approaches to recycling, each having their own bonuses and drawbacks. Gulf Coast Scrap Metal – a Houston scrap metal recycling facility – is here to help you determine which type of recycling best fits your lifestyle.

Municipal Recycling Programs vs. Independent Scrap Metal Recycling

There are two main types of recycling: the service provided by the city and independent recycling. With municipal recycling programs, the city provides households with either 18-gallon box or a 96-gallon cart for recycling. Chairpersons act as a liaison between the community and the recycling division, which collection recycling on a bi-weekly basis.

Municipal programs encourage recycling because they are convenient: your recycling can be collected right off your doorstep and no sorting is required. Moreover, they accept a wide array of materials, including plastics, paper (newspaper, magazines, catalogs, phonebooks, etc.), cardboard, aluminum and tin can, and cleaned glass bottles and jars. At the end of the day though, you end up paying to recycling because these programs are funded by taxes.

While municipal programs offer flexibility and convenience, independent recycling facilities provide individuals with the opportunity to make money while saving the environment. Independent recycling facilities will pay good money for select types of trash. The only drawback is that it requires a bit more motivation to recycle at a an independent facility: one generally needs to sort the scrap themselves and bring it over to the facility. This tedious process is worth the effort if the waste you have is valuable or if you have a large quantity of it.

Picking the Right Recycling Approach

Whether you choose the municipal program or seek out and independent facility for your recycling depends on what type of waste you have.

If your waste is composed of small loads of different types of materials, municipal recycling may be the best choice for you. Most independent facilities focus on a specific type of recyclable material, like glass or metal. If you do not have a significant amount of trash made of one material, it may not be worth the effort to find an independent facility for recycling.

Most independent facilities have a specific price for every pound of recyclable material you bring in. If you have a large amount of a specific kind of waste, you may be able to make a substantial amount of money with recycling. Owning a vehicle that is capable of transporting large weights of scrap also helps.

Choosing Independent Scrap Metal Recycling

Gulf Coast is a scrap metal recycling facility that mixes the lucrative nature of the independent recycling world with the convenience of municipal programs. Not only do we pay you the highest prices in the Houston metro area for your metal scrap, but we also offer a jobsite pickup service.

We also accept one of the largest selections of metals, including aluminum, copper, brass, carbide, lead, steel, nickel alloys, iron and computer boards.

Keep your pockets fat and the earth green with Gulf Coast Scrap Metal. For quality Houston scrap metal recycling, please call 713-868-4111.