A rose by any other name......

I tell them metal scrap usually, but now just say metal recycling or will remove junk..... or in worst case. Hey you want to make some money? I will buy that old appliance....etc

I just tell them I have an appliance recycling company.

If the person seems skiddish..that's when I explain, "I'm just tryin' to keep metal out of the land fills." Hah, otherwise, its business as usuall, most people know what's up anyway.

I tend to call myself a metal recycler. I will ask people if I can recycle their metal as apposed to scrapping it as I find that people (because of the media) have this preconception that people like us are either thieves or trying to rip them off for the vast amount of money to be made from their old grill

Seems to work for me

"I collect scrap metal" sounds like you have a garden full of this stuff that you hoard obsessively. I would start thinking you lived alone and had lots and lots of cats. I'd still let you take my washing machine though.

"I do metal salvage" sounds more professional, but a bit vague. I have a friend who used to ship aluminium worldwide - he worked for Cathay Pacific.

"I salvage and recycle metal to stop it going to landfill" sounds the best to me. It says what you do and spells out the benefit of why you are doing it. If you can change that to:

"I salvage and recycle metal to stop it going to landfill and most times I can do it for no charge" I think you are on to a winner.

I Tend to throw the landfill bit in too Wayne, I like your spiel too George

Do you think women have a better advantage to getting scrap to men or visa virsa? I have to ask this lol!! When I approach people and tell them I am in scrap recycling they are more then willing to work with me and most of the time load the product in my truck without me even touching it (sweet)! But sometimes they look at me like im just a girl who has lost her marbles! Do men have a better "store front" look? Are they more appealing to the trade (when asking for scrap)???

Hope you don't mind me asking this question on you post Scrapette?

I hope you don't mind this either Scrapette, but I'm glad you asked that question, Imyourgirl. I've often wondered that myself! The reactions I've gotten have been so varied - Most people are more than willing to help(I don't expect them to, but it's nice when they do), others seem to have this idea in their head like, "Hey, you want to do this kind of work, then let's see you do it" - and stand and watch, then laugh when I'm struggling to get something in my truck.

Originally Posted by skipRAT

If its a private property......Knock Knock [on their door]
"Hello there, my name is Andy, Im sorry to trouble you, but i notice you have a skip {dumpster} outside,
do you mind if i have a quick look in side for some cable / wire. ?
I wont leave a mess anywhere."

Normally the response is the same:

""Yeah, of course, help yourself to what you want!
I may have some more electrical items if your interested""?

If its a business:
And there are workers milling about dumping stuff in the skip,
i would approach them and
"Hello mate, is the Guvnor' around at all"?
They call the guvnor' /foreman
"Sorry to bother you mate, im just running a bit of copper / metal in, Do you mind if i have a quick look in the skip, before its collected"

But, Most of the time the workers are running this in themselves,
so when i approach a "work in progress" im looking at picking up very small amounts, if they give permission?

I have a couple of times come accross "work in progress" projects, where the Guvnor', just wants the old stuff out ASAP,
and the workers are too lazy or too stupid to go through it all and it goes straight in the skip?
These are rare, but they are out there!

I might add that construction dumpsters have been one of the most lucrative sources of scrap for me because the contractor or whoever is running the job is 9 times out of 10 paying for the dumpster by weight, so I'll introduce myself, hand them a card and ask if I can "lighten" their dumpster tonnage. They're more than happy to let me fish around and most of the time, give me more and/or they call me back.

Originally Posted by LadyScrappers

I hope you don't mind this either Scrapette, but I'm glad you asked that question, Imyourgirl. I've often wondered that myself! The reactions I've gotten have been so varied - Most people are more than willing to help(I don't expect them to, but it's nice when they do), others seem to have this idea in their head like, "Hey, you want to do this kind of work, then let's see you do it" - and stand and watch, then laugh when I'm struggling to get something in my truck.

I've also had both, most help load but once I had a guy watch me load a wahser/dryer set by myself, his wife came out to help with the dryer. I dont ever expect anyone to help load up but it makes you feel kinda like a jerk if they stand there like that.

Originally Posted by Scrapette

wow, this is like an AA meeting or something, hi Easy.

Only if it's Aluminum Anonymous.