Did you know you can earn some extra cash by taking your scrap metal to a recycling centre like West Coast Metals instead of just binning it? Scrap metal recycling centres pay by weight and type of metal, but the exact amount of money you'll receiver per kilo of any type of metal is subject to market fluctuations. If you want to know the current rate, you can call your local recycling centre before loading the metal into your car.

The scrap metal recycling centre won't have time to sort through a pile of mixed metal, so sort your metal into individual bundles before asking them to weigh it. If you're unhappy with the price being offered, you can decline the offer and take your metal home with you. Here's an overview of four metals you can take to a recycling centre and how to determine if you have high value or low value metal:

These Four Types Of Metal Can Earn You Cash

Scrap metal recycling centres will be happy to take any of the following off your hands:

• Copper - Commonly used for electrical wires and plumbing pipes, copper can be identified by its bronze colour and is considered a high value metal.
• Brass - Easily identified by its yellowish colour, brass is a heavy metal that's used for door handles and bathroom fittings and is a medium value metal.
• Aluminium - This metal is silver in colour and dents easily. It's used for drinks cans, window frames and door fixtures, but it's a low value metal.
• Steel - Steel can appear similar to aluminium, but it's heavier and doesn't dent as easily. It's commonly used for car bodies, garden furniture and shelving and is a low value metal.

Determining Whether You Have High Or Low Value Metal

If you're not sure of the exact type of scrap metal you have, you can use a magnet to determine if it's a high or low value metal. Doing this will enable you to decide if you have enough of a low value metal to make a trip to the recycling centre worthwhile or if you'd be better waiting until you accumulate more. A magnet will stick to ferrous metals, which are considered low value metals, so you'd earn less per kilo of this type of metal than you would a high value metal such as copper. If the magnet does not stick to your metal, it's non-ferrous and considered a high value metal.

Are you renovating your home or do you have a garage full of old household stuff that's just collecting dust? Have a rummage around your home and you may be surprised at the amount of unused metal just waiting to be turned into paper.