Scraping core and coil ballasts what are you guys getting

[Brian]

How many of you guys sell your old core and coil ballasts for scrap? What kind of prices are you getting for them?

[alltex]

I get 15- 20 cents a pound. Not sure if that's good or not. Beats paying for the pound charge on my dumpster.

[fishing nut]

Thats about same here.

[Rocco]

Thats about same here.

I guess I need to take a rid up the turnpike. We got 6 cents a pound for transformers and 8 or 9 cents for ballasts on my last run just before xmas. I had about 40-45 transformers and was disappointed when my son got back from the scrap yard.

[edward@butlersignco.com]

0.10 to 0.20 per pound. Only pays for itself when recycling wire, steel and aluminum at the same time. How many document the date codes?

[Signsfast]

some of my scrap yards wont take ballast anymore unless is says "no pcb's" on it.

[edward@butlersignco.com]

We offer a copy of a log sheet with date codes where the case is not stamped with No PCB's. Trouble is some manufacturers print this date code on the primay wires and many log sheets don't have a date associated with what's been recycled. The printing becomes unreadable or the service crews cut the wires to short. Slightly related, I was suprised that out local reecycle accepts wire that has not been stripped.

[alltex]

I take un stripped wire in all the time. I used to even recycle all my plastic. But the plastic guys went out of business. I have a 30 yard dumpster out back. It gets real expensive dumping it twice a month. That's why I try to scrap/recycle everything. What sucks the most is wood. I get 5 crates a week on average. Varied in build/construction. 1/2 my dumpster is wood.

[Signsfast]

I burn all my crates

[alltex]

I burn all my crates

Wish I could. The city kind of frowns on huge bon fires in parking lots. I did have one years ago.. They put it out for me. Pick up truck burnt up-recall never fixed...

[edward@butlersignco.com]

Acrylic and polycarbonate promise to bring $0.12 per pound once we reach 5000 lbs. Gaylord boxes and shipping paid for by the buyer, we supply labor to seperate & box/pack as well as supply the skids. (Completely dependant on fuel costs and amount being recycled - full trailer vs. half trailer).

Wood? I can't understand why it is not recyclable, perhaps it decomposes quickly enough to not be a burden...

Edited January 16, 2015 by edward@butlersignco.com

[tleaf28]

For recycling plastic try Laird or Piedmont or a similar type plastic distributor. They provide the gaylord boxes at no charge.

For wood pallets and crates the best we've been able to do is get someone to take them for free. Try checking with local suppliers if they need any.

FYI- We sort it acrylic versus polycarb and clear versus pigmented to get better pricing from them but it's not required.

[bonehead]

Hey, Chubby - you specified core and coil ballasts. I do a lot of lighting work, so I have a lot of core & coil ballasts. To part these out, I saw the two welds on one end, then hammer off the outside iron parts of the coil. (After sawing the weld, they come off easily.) Then, I hammer out the center iron part. I'm left with two copper donuts, which are usually about six pounds total weight. These, I sell for $3.00 per pound. I throw the iron parts of the core in a barrel, and sell these for ten cents a pound.

FYI, a 5 gallon bucket of copper coils weighs about 100 lbs. This translates to $300.00 per bucket.

For my encased sign ballasts and neon transformers, I pile them beside the dumpster, and they're gone in the morning. For me, they're not worth messing with.

[Brian]

Very interesting I never thought of busting them apart. I will give it a try thanks!

[UFB Fabrication]

We have the pallet bandit get or wood pallets. The plastic get recycled to a guy up north but he with take PVC/Sintra type. We have a roll of for steel and gaylords for alum. Since we only build signs it cuts our trash down pretty well and we are working on recycling cardboard/paper. Last year we took a bunch of transformers and ballast that were well out of date but still in the box and sent a pallet to the scraper with a tear in my eye.

BTW for alum and steel we have enough that it worth our while to shop and haggle with the metal buyers. You would be surprised how many resell to larger metal recyclers.

Edited January 22, 2015 by UFB Fabrication

[burkeenterprise]

We luck out with all of our wood scrap...There are several campgrounds around here and wood left on the side of the parking lot is usualy gone within an hour....Unfortunatly with all the snow now we have to wait for spring...

If you ever need extra weight in the back of a pick-up for traction try a box of old transformers they add up quick.

Any suggestions for recycling snow....we are now out of storage room for it.