Make More Money
At Green Guy Recycling, we want you to get the most for your metal. Testing and sorting your metals prior to presenting them for sale will help maintain their value. We will gladly purchase your metals as a mixed load, but to maximize your return, pre-sort your metals!
Maximize your metal!
Non-Ferrous vs. Ferrous Metals - Magnet Test
A magnet is your best tool for sorting metals. If the magnet sticks to your material, it is ferrous, which means it contains iron. All ferrous metals are purchased across the truck scale, in the yard. If it does not stick, your material is non-ferrous. All non-ferrous metals are purchased on the floor scale, inside the warehouse.
Maximize your metal!
Stainless Steel vs. Aluminum - Spark Test
Stainless steel and aluminum are very similar in appearance. The best way to tell them apart is to test them with an angle grinder or bench grinder. Stainless steel will throw sparks, aluminum will not. Stainless steel may also have a slight magnetic pull, aluminum will not.
Copper vs. Brass
Pure copper will appear pink. If it is tarnished, it will look red or brown. If it is oxidized, it will be green. The color of brass is more yellow. Running the material across a grinder will reveal the true color for identification.
Yellow Brass vs. Die Cast Aluminum
Die Cast aluminum is often painted to look like yellow brass. The best way to identify the metal is to run it across a grinder. Yellow brass will be yellow and die cast will have a silver color.
Pre-Process Your Metal
Cleaning up material is often a quick way to increase the value of your metal. Here are some common examples:
clean up your materials –> make more money
Sheet Aluminum
Remove all screws, caulking and other contaminants from sheet aluminum. This increases the grade from Irony-Sheet to Clean-Sheet.
Irony-Sheet Aluminum Bottom Left
Light sheet aluminum with a small amount of steel or iron contamination. Includes siding and gutters with steel screws.
Clean-Sheet Aluminum Bottom Right
Light sheet aluminum that is free from all contaminants. Includes unpainted siding, soda can pull tabs, and gutters stripped of steel screws.
Copper Wire
Insulated copper wire that recovers at least 80% copper can be stripped to increase the grade from 80/90% Insulated CU Wire to Bare Bright Copper.
80% - 90% Copper Wire Bottom Left
Insulated copper electrical wire which upon stripping will recover at least 80-90% bare bright wire. Individual strands must be at least the diameter of a standard paper clip. Wire must be presented in a manner that will untangle easily. Must be larger than 6 AWG. Excludes tin-coated wire.
Bare Bright Copper Bottom Right
Perfectly clean, pure, bright and shiny copper electrical wire with no insulation. Individual strands must be at least the diameter of a standard paper clip. Excludes hard-drawn ground wire.
Window Frames
Removing the glass from a window frame will make the material Secondary Extrusion.
Shreddable Steel Bottom Left
Light sheet steel with a small amount of contamination. Includes household appliances, water heaters, 4 wheelers, riding lawn mowers, tin, steel siding, and roofing. There is a minimum of 150 lbs of material in order to receive payment for shreddable steel.
SECONDARY Extruded Aluminum Bottom Right
Extruded aluminum that contains a small amount of contaminants. Includes door and window frames that have screws, small amounts of rubber, glue, and other material.
Radiators
Cutting the steel ends off of air conditioning cores adds value.
Aluminum/Copper Core with iron Middle Left
Evaporator and condensing core from A/C units. Also known as “coils.” Contains copper tubing with aluminum fins. Aluminum/copper cores with iron have the steel ends intact. See documentation requirements for the sale of this material.
Clean Aluminum/Copper Core Middle Right
These evaporator or condenser A/C core contain no steel or other contaminants. They are made exclusively of aluminum and copper.
Aluminum/Copper Core Ends Bottom
Ends cut off of Aluminum/Copper Cores, these consist of a steel bracket with U-shaped copper tubing pieces attached.
San Marcos
937 Texas 80
San Marcos, TX 78666
512-353-3266
Hours of Operation
Monday–Friday:
8:00am–5:00pm
Saturday:
8:00am–12:00pm
Sunday:
CLOSED
San Marcos
Mill Road
937 Texas 80
San Marcos, TX 78666
512-353-3266
Hours of Operation
Monday–Friday:
8:00am–5:00pm
Saturday:
8:00am–12:00pm
Sunday:
CLOSED
Coming Soon in 2025
San Marcos
937 Texas 80
San Marcos, TX 78666
512-353-3266
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday:
8:00am–5:00pm
Saturday:
8:00am–12:00pm
Sunday:
CLOSED
Mill Road
191 Mill Road
Maxwell, TX 78656
512-353-3266
Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday:
8:00am–5:00pm
Saturday:
8:00am–12:00pm
Sunday:
CLOSED