Do you have a box of inch-long remnants of copper pipe from that kitchen remodel back in 1970? How about a couple of bent and burnt aluminum pots that just couldn’t cook one more can of cream of mushroom soup? Or how about one of my favorites; an old tire rim cut and bent into the shape of a flower? I believe the artists intentions were good but I always thought they looked like Audrey II or a body snatcher pod (If you don’t understand these references Google “little shop of Horrors” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and then see the original versions). If your basement is choked with stuff like this but your conscience tells you metal is easily recycled but you know it will cost you more in gas than the money you’d make at the scrap yard. Here is a solution that is good for your basement, the earth, and your conscience; consider donating you scrap metal to Buffalo ReUse to support:

• Employment and training for young people
• Commerce in the City of Buffalo
• Preservation of Buffalo’s heritage of materials and craftsmanship
• Diverting “waste” from dead-ending in landfills?

Seriously though, those few old bits of metal might not seem significant, however scrap metal is very useful for us as it provides a very quick and direct way to help fund our day to day operations. At about 75 cents per pound for ferrous metals (irons and steels) and about 3 dollars per pound for cuprous metals (copper, brass, bronze) it isn’t worth the average person gas and driving to recycle a few old coat hangers or faucet knobs. However at the Buffalo ReUse these small amounts of metal accumulate from many different sources and add up quickly. A truck load of metal might pay for a few days worth of diesel, or pay to repair an (all too common) engine problem, buy boxes of gloves, puncture protectors and goggles for the crew, etc…

Environmentally recycled metal is an excellent way to be greener. A piece of metal thrown away is a piece of metal that has to be replaced with new metal. The amount of energy needed to recycle metal into useful products is estimated to be nearly 1/3 of the energy to obtain it from raw materials. Metals also often require that tons of rock be mined to produce pounds of metal. The environmental costs of mining are very high, leaving enormous scars on the earth and badly poisoned waters and lands.

Of course, if you bring in interesting or useful metal items that can be  re-sold we would not scrap them.  Useful items can be re-sold in the store (Environmentally even better than metal recycling) or used to run our operations. And just like item donations, we will provide you with a tax donation form. We ask that you not bring refrigerators, propane cylinders, gas cans, entire cars or trucks, items that are less than 50% metal, or contain mercury (switches and controls). For very large loads we can pick it up with our truck by appointment. Items should be readily accessible at ground level. In any case call ahead to discuss your specific situation and see if we can use your metal.

So  if you have a set of porch railings that were bent into a pretzel when junior backed into it 1978 while learning to drive, consider the Buffalo ReUse before you put it at the curb. It will help our cause immensely.