What We Buy at 3 Rivers Iron & Metal ◊ Fairmont, WV

UNPREPARED #1 Scrap – Nearly any metals will fall into the “mixed scrap” category.  However, these materials should not contain excessive amounts of non-ferrous items (copper, aluminum, brass, lead, etc.).  Drums or containers that contain liquid are also not acceptable.  Materials can be any size.  Examples of mixed scrap would be any car parts (not body parts), bicycle frames, metal chairs, machine shop scrap, and wheel rims.

CLEAN AUTO CAST – Any automobile cast iron, such as clean heads, clean blocks (no crankshafts or pistons), brake drums, and rotors.  There should be no spark plugs or valve springs in the cast for it to be considered “clean”.  Camshafts are permitted.  This material pays the premium as Prepared #1.

SHREDDER – This is commonly referred to as “tin”.  This includes any appliances, car body parts, light-gauge sheet metal, or any other metal which has a large concentration of non-metallic items or non-ferrous parts.  We DO NOT accept drums that contain liquid.  Large drums and automobile gas tanks can ONLY be accepted if they have been crushed, have been cut in half, or have a basketball-sized hole cut out of them.  Fire extinguishers, Propane & Oxygen tanks can NOT be accepted UNLESS their valve has been screwed out and NOT broken off.  We DO accept light fixture housings that do NOT contain the ballast. (We do accept ballasts but they go over to the Non-Ferrous Warehouse.)

CARS – AS OF APRIL 1st, 2024 WE WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT CARS DRIVEN IN FOR SCRAP!!!

Any regular-size cars or trucks that are trailered in must have the gas tank removed OR a basketball-sized hole cut out, visible to our staff.  (To receive the whole car rate, if different from our listed Shredder rate, vehicles must NOT be used as a trailer or stuffed.)    NO electric vehicles or hybrids are accepted.

NOTE:  To receive the higher prepared price for Clean Auto Cast, Prepared #1, or Prepared P&S the ENTIRE load must be that grade.  Any Unprepared or Shredder scrap in the load will cause the entire load to be paid at a lower rate.

Specifications for different grades of Non-Ferrous materials

BATTERIES – Must have the recycle symbol and be whole, free from defects, and must have caps in place.

• NO electric vehicle batteries are accepted.

INSULATED COPPER – Should have all plugs, receptacles, and wire nuts removed.

•     Heavy-duty extension cords (the thicker round yellow ones), Romex, would be considered Regular Yield.
•     Household extension cords (the flat white, green, or brown ones), and phone wire would be considered Low Yield.

CAT FOOD CANS  – Are accepted (as sheet aluminum price). *BUT see below for all the other cans that we do NOT accept. **Cat food cans & Beverage cans MUST NOT be mixed.

#1 COPPER – Must be no smaller than a #2 pencil lead, CLEAN with NO solder, paint, caulk, tape, insulation, or other non-ferrous attachments.

#2 COPPER – Smaller than a #2 pencil lead copper that is not clean (containing any of the above-listed materials).

#3 COPPER – Sheet copper.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT – Pig Iron (heavy oblong weights commonly found in windows casings of older homes), Christmas lights, tires, fluids, cylinders that contain any kind of gases, (propane, acetylene, etc.), or refrigerators and A/C units containing freon, soup cans, coffee cans, vegetable cans, dog food cans, televisions, printers, VCRs, computers, older microwave models (with a turn dial), boats (unless aluminum or steel), campers/RVs (too much wood, plastic, insulation), batteries from electric vehicles, aluminum doors/windows that have glass still in them.