Construction gets money for scrap in *mixed* dumpster?

My health club is having a major addition to the building put on, there's a big dumpster with a fair amount of metal in it on a regular basis behind the building…I asked a guy (sounded like a sub-contractor because he referred to the main firm as "they" rather than "we") if they cared if someone took metal that was already in the dumpster…he said he thought they didn't want people doing that because they got money for it…but it's all mixed up with drywall, wood, etc. (usually in my experience if sites are recycling scrap they keep separate piles/dumpsters).

Was this guy just blowing smoke? I'm tempted to go back today after four and grab stuff because I've noticed they replace the dumpster Tuesday morning (it's Monday); I looked inside and there's at least a couple hundred pounds (last week I asked and a different subcontractor said he thought it was ok, he even hopped into the dumpster and threw stuff out for me I got almost 800 lbs out of it; I called the main firm later that day if they were ok with it in the future but they never got back to me so I don't know where I stand really. [I asked the guy on-site today just because I prefer feeling like I touched base with somebody instead of just going to straight to "work".])

jghilino now that is an original idea!!! Just goes to show you what valuable information is provided on this forum.

yeah i was afraid that's what you guys were going to say :-0

i was thinking about calling the main company again and offering to fax them a form releasing them from any liability

(thanks for info about trespassing after-hours, i didn't know that)

(also i called dumpster company, they said they don't pay for scrap in mixed trash so that guy on-site today didn't know what he was talking about)

i got through on the phone to s.o. at the company, he said even with a fax releasing liability he wasn't "comfortable" with giving the ok based on what his higher-ups had said to him previously…guess i could still try to track down the on-site supervisor but i'm a little discouraged about this one, at least for this week

If you can get in touch with the jobsite supervisor, offer to bring the guys a couple of pizzas at lunch time, or maybe a case of beers at the end of their shift on Friday if they stockpile the "good stuff" to the side of the dumpster for you every day. Depending on what it's worth to you, maybe flash a little green paper.
Make sure that you tell them a specific time when you will be there, then make sure you're not late. If it becomes a hassle for them, then they'll not be interested in helping you. In my experience, the job super can make things happen, regardless of what the corporate rules may be. Just make it worth his time.

back in the day I used to supply the rolloff to companies to put mixed in but that went with the higher scrap prices so I do miss that because all I had to do was call to have it placed and to pick up and poof minus the cost of renting it which at the time was $125 week I cleared a nice chuck when I had 4 out at a time during the summer now around here there are local drop off sites which do not like pulling reg scrap out but will let me pull tvs microwaves and such but ya its a touch basis because of liability for most places but never hurts to ask. I got to tear out a old hardies a few years back because I asked

ask if you can park a trailer of your there and have them throw the metal in that, They would then use less dumpster space, saving money, and wouldnt have to worry about you getting hurt.