I just wanted to clear up the legality.

I had thought about incineration services unrelated to electronic scrap at one point. I knew medical waste was legal with the right unit. Electronic scrap had the same hazardous waste classifications. I couldn't imagine there would be much difference.

Example of an incinerator that is NOT legal to use to burn hazardous materials.

At least the next guy that comes along that asks the question will find an answer.

This was the same answer that I got from some guys that work at a local yard, but they wouldn't tell me specifically what service. At least this confirms that the services do exist. The other service I found was The American Metals Market. Thank you.

The only other industry I have had any insight to as far as commodity markets was lumber, and that was just the information that I learned through freight sales since the office I was in shipped so much of it. I'm glad I wasn't too far off then.

These questions just boil down to time for me. I respect the amount of effort that goes into an idea, and it needs to be the right idea if I'm going to spends months of my time doing actual research. And if I decide to run with it I'm going to do as much of it I can myself before paying someone to look over my results. Things like workflow, productivity, estimating time and labor costs, learning all of the equipment, sorting & processing methods: I'm sure I can probably figure all of that out --- and pay someone to fix my mistakes.

The idea to start small with a scrap collection service makes sense. The insanity to the pipe dream vision here really boils down to who in their right mind would spend the money or even bother? We're talking about making money off of garbage... Let's call it what it is.

But where do I, or should I really try to fit in within the supply chain? That's rhetorical. (Going back to the Levels system post.)

It only makes any sense to me if I could find a reliable supplier. Even if I'm only covering my expenses and making a small profit per ton or just breaking even, the logic was, it would keep me from eating through funds to keep the business afloat. Then there's the question of purchasing from the public. And purchasing from the general public alone, I'm assuming, won't keep a yard afloat (will it?), and isn't a reliable source of income whatsoever.

I'm trying to figure out where the calculated risks come in? Can I even use the words calculated risk and insanity in the same sentence? My logic said to find a reliable supplier, roll the dice, and pray to God that the married couple down the block dispose of their old desktop sometime in the next 5 years and give it to me. Maybe they'll drop a cell phone that isn't under warranty? --- It seemed like a great idea.

I think to the average person, once "precious metals" are substituted with "trash", this sounds like a completely ignorant idea altogether.

Where I differ from a few (ok most) other’s opinions is I’m not going to step on you and say you’re crazy. I’ve seen small partnerships jump in at EVERY level in the industry and make it. I just point out you’re far far more likely to fail. And the failure rate goes up as your entry level rises.

The reasons the honest YouTubers tell you they failed is easy to understand. Not enough supply, too many supplies. The further up the chain has it’s benefit in major payouts but it becomes harder and harder to get solvency up there.
The part I focus on it the reason I don’t do this. I’ve never found the right ratio. Say, how many 486s at $50 each do I need to buy to to make a profit after the expenses of materials and time.

I’ve made tiny ball mills before using a motor from a electric concrete drill, fashioning sheet steel into a drum, rigging a mount and ball bearings from case fans. Noisy as hell but works well enough.
Doesn’t last long though

I’ve played with refining on the past but it’s not for me.
I have all the patience, I can sit and happily watch water boil: one bubble, two bubbles... Time for the pasta!
Remembering to test the materials in a drum in the back yard every few days after 6 months of waiting, I don’t have the attention span needed. Squirrel.
I should really cut that dead branch off. Squirrel, I’m hungry: did I eat anything today?
Where was I?

Oh. Here. People who attempt to read my longer posts will notice I don’t even have the attention span to stay on topic after a few paragraphs.
So, back on track. If you have a plan in place. If you have done the research. Have it on paper. Know what you’re going to do... go for it.
The planing is the key. Not the method of the plan. The ones I know made it from nothing spent years planing, and lots of money on information resources. But it paid off because the had the right information at the beginning and stuck to it.

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I can send you a PM if you'd like to swap information and don't mind. There are things that I definitely don't want to say on open forum for the sake of my own privacy.

Feel free to email me at gmail.

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I'm assuming you have contact information on your Forum profile, but I can't figure out how to view other people's profiles on this board.

you cant...but

its lostinlodos At g-m- a- i -l ....tag the email title as boardsort ..

Thank you.

The mistake most small to medium level scrappers make is thinking they know too much. I am new to this board, but I have been selling second hand stuff for 25 years. The big key is knowing the best place online to sell stuff. Boardsort has good scrap prices on most e-materials, but you should not be selling most materials that you are going ship for scrap value, as the moderators have been saying in many posts. Do your research. For instance, I sell old used beer caps, wine corks and lots of other stuff as craft supplies on Etsy for a lot more than you would think. Many junk appliances and vehicles that don't run get parted out on Facebook groups, Amazon and Etsy. I have seen multiple posts on here that say burned out stoves and fridges can't make you money. Uh...no. I have parted out lots of semi-modern appliances for almost what I bought them for new. If it's a part that breaks or stops working, people will buy replacements for a good price online. I recently parted out a 2005 stove and sold all of the elements, all of the control knobs, the power cord, the door swtiches, the handles, the control board, and probably a dozen other parts within a month online for over $200. I have sold a crapload of 90s-early 00s remote controls, chargers, and power cords for over $10 each. I get these in free boxes all the time at yard sales. The rest that is not sellable goes to Boardsort - it's a great resource for relatively small / lightweight scrap.

I’ve always maintained that scrap is the lowest value you can get. It’s not 100% accurate but it fits nearly as very case.

If you’ve seen any of my what’s inside posts, I tend to be gentle inside something.
You’re already taking it apart right?
So snap a photo and try to sell it.

I got PAID $20 to drag away a friend’s neighbour’s high end dishwasher with a blown pump a few years back and sold parts and accessories to wind up making over $200 before got to scrapping. That got me another $50.

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