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Learn to properly Sort, Sell, and Profit from your electronic scrap material.
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PostPosted: Thu May 26, 2016 2:51 pm 
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If you come across letters, blends, or numbers other than 1-7 please post a reply. I'll eventually make a grid for the forums of specifics when we get enough variations. Similar to the one i made on wikipedia (universal recycling codes) but specific to our needs.

The average American household of 4 in 2014 produced 28lbs of non-recycled waste per week. or 7lbs per person.
I personally produce 50lbs avg per YEAR.

First and foremost all plastic is recyclable.
In large cities they probably take 1 2 and 4. Some also take 5 (pp) or one of the types of 6 (ps).
That's free or paid pickup.

1, 2, 3, and 4 are so cheap and plentiful you're best shot is often just putting it in the recycling bin and forgetting about it.
What we'll focus on here is 5 (pp) 6(ps) and 7 (other). then we'll take a brief look at plastic metal alloys and laminate as well.

Regardless of if you're selling or simply recycling it properly sorting is key.
Unless you are bringing it for free to a mixed or commingled drop, always sort.
Numbers
First sort by number, then colour, black from white, from green etc.
The final non-7 issue. Polystyrene has 3 types, 2 for your concerns. Expanded makes up things like coffee cups egg cartons, and packing materials. Condensed and compacted both are the same thing for consumer issues like this. This would be internal parts in electronics, cases, some plastic clam shells, coffee cup lids etc. The two types need to be separated for recycling. Expanded always looks like millions of tiny balls stuck together.
Condensed ps needs to be sorted by colour as well. Expanded does not.
Note: never recycle packing peanuts. There are too many variations in materials and blends, including non-plastics, and they disrupt recycling processes. Give them to a shipper such as ups store, ir fedex office, or pakmail, all happy to take them for free.

7. 7 stands for other and is not set for any specific type. Some 7 is worth lots of money others are not. 7 also includes any 1-7 that is adulterated. That would include metals or paper blends, like laminate. Anything not marked or anything you're not sure of goes in 7. Period. Don't reply and ask if this or that is something else. It may be, but the buyer at your level doesn't care. Not marked is 7 if it's hdpe or not.

Lets start with the 7+ and letter blends you'll be looking for.
3 you always want to look out for and sort separate. ABS. The largest non-numbered class in consumer electronics. From cases to components to your coffee maker and microwave oven. Abs is everywhere, often marked, and an easy profitable sell when you find a buyer.
PC. Polycarbonate. The second most plentiful plastic in escrap. Is actually, chemically a metal alloy. Contains carbon in high quantity and most major industrial metal recyclers will buy it. Just call and ask, don't show up with 500lbs and not call and expect thrm to be happy.
The last marked clean plastic to look out for is PVC. Like PS there are two formulas for PVC and they should be sorted as such. Rigid makes up the majority of plastic bumpers and tray handles in computer's, most often seen in servers. Some low value budget manufacturers such as dell also use it in mounts and cases as a less expensive alternative to abs. It's half the price of abs with most of the same qualities. Flexible pvc is used for liquid cooling hoses, bumpers, standoffs, and other plyable places. (It's also the most used material in the adult toy industry from clothing to... :cough:) .
Back on track. Sort flexible from rigid.

7+ is any blend that is marked and should be kept separate. Abs+PVC. Pc-abs, etc.

Now to the blends.
Firstly paper laminate. This is very specific issue for recycling.
If it is laminated on only one side you can cut or rip it into pieces smaller than 4x6 inches (rip a page in 4) and recycle in normal paper. Tge same process that removes windows from envelopes removes small squares of plastic laminate from single sided pages.
Anything larger or double sided and It can NOT be recycled in standard paper recycling.
There are three methods for dealing with laminated paper.
First you can go through the extensive time consuming process of splitting the two halves and cutting the resulting single sided laminate to sub 4x6. And recycle it as paper.

2nd. If you live near a large publishing printer that prints magazines or gift cards you can give (or sell) shredded laminate to them. They use it in a specialised process in making semi-plastised card stock covers and paper.
Finally as long as no local law prohibits it you can burn it in a VERY open well ventilated burn and sell the resulting soot as "plastic char" to a large steel yard or an iron foundry. Slightly above clean light iron rate.

Finally metal plastic blends, foils, etc.
Yards are fickle when it comes to this so ask often and don't get a pattern of dependency going because it changes often. Buy today but not tomorrow. Etc.
Aside from copper and aluminium which usually have a laminate class of their own this Type of material will usually fall into the 2nd class (for thick metal with a thin sealant) or lowest class (#3 or #4) for thin laminated strips. Sort metals accordingly.
Copper should be separated but will often be purchased as a class of wire for thin strips or as #2 rod for thick pieces.
Aluminium has two standardised classes from other industries. Al laminate (thin) will be purchased as household gutters and flashing, or piping (thick) along with water and electric pipes.


The last thing I want to mention is paint. Be it an alloy (added during moulding and part of the plastic all the way through) or after production (sprayed on) metallic paint.
A quick scratch test will tell you if it's on the surface or inside. Alloys can often be sold as the lowest non-class for the metal. (Shred or recovery). Paint can be scraped off and sold as "dirty turnings".
Three most common metals here are nickel (computer cases), copper (cell phones) and gold (high end portables, eg iPhone, galaxy) and is used as shielding and heat dissipation.


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 5:19 pm 

Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2015 9:07 pm
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What about PA, HIPS, POM?

Ran across these in a printer


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:00 pm 
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Pa is an organic polymer, probably a nylon. They're sometimes syntheticly made but still go with your organics. Like bromine based plastics and biodegradable bags.
If you're rural you can try a farmer. Stuff is good for long term composting base, like under mushrooms or the base layer of greenhouse planters.
It holds moisture well, produces a surprising amount of thermal discharge in decomposition, and is nontoxic in its decomposed form.

Hips is condensed ps. Just some arse stamping it differently. Goes with condensed ps. I'm sure there's a grand reason they used a different nomenclature but on the recycling side none of my buyers ever want it separated, I've asked. (Thanks, i forgot to mention it).

The final one POM I've never sorted out on its own but looks to be Polyoxymethylene, i looked it up on Wikipedia and it looks like a compression polymer blend.
But anything i can't sell goes in non-metalic plastic 7 in bulk and let them figure it out. ;)
I'm not sure I've ever even seen it in person.

A note on names (acronyms). Hdpe and pehd are the same... ldpe/peld etc.
Blends usually put the higher content first.
Pe+abs/abs+pe... !


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:46 pm 
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Following up on POM. You may be able to sell it to a diesel fuel refinery. Its methane based.
They buy plastic bags in bulk so maybe a small refinery. If you have more than a few lbs. Make good low-grade sludge I'd guess by adding glycol and phosphate. Maybe break down to a two-stroke oil as well.


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 1:52 am 

Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:54 am
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Location: Mississippi
Inside large office fax/copier machines (where the glass is) looks like metal, but not magnetic, I thought it was some kind of non magnetic Metal. Any thoughts or suggestions


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 12:02 pm 
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Depends; can you break / snap it? Metallic plastic will look white inside. Chalky or cream coloured

If you can't snap it try to carefully gouge it with a screwdriver or knife to see if it scratch through the layer.
If still not sure post a photo and I'll see if I can tell.
By sight.

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PostPosted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 9:18 pm 

Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:55 pm
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Location: Texas
Hey Lost,

What is the thick clear plastic in flat screens? It looks like lexan or maybe some sort of acrylic.

What kind of prices do you get on ABS and those clear sheets I'm asking about?

Thanks
Ray


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 2:03 pm 
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Abs appears to be going for 18c-22c this morning
Bit of a drop.

That thick clear piece will be a proprietary acrylic. Yes
I usually recycle them in low grade glass.
Your municipal bin is fine for that.
Any thin sheets that are cream, white, or clear go with my plastic bags.
Silver or grey go in mixed wire for me, they have silver or nickel depending on manufacturer and age.
I just roll it into a tube and tape it.
None of my buyers ever complained so either it's ohkay or they don't care enough to complain about less than a quarter ounce .

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:22 pm 

Joined: Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:55 pm
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Thanks Lost.

That's interesting (about the grey sheets). I'm almost certain the local yards here would refuse it. I really need to find better local scrap yard, or within a few hour drive.


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PostPosted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 1:56 am 

Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2016 9:54 am
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Location: Mississippi
Attachment:
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Attachment:
File comment: And the curved thick plastic, does boardsort accept any of this?
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Maybe these pics can help,
Laser diode array assembly made from a ridged monolithic substrate, is this what I'm talking about or is this the laser assembly inside the hard drives? Like too know that also.


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