Food Service Recycling Tips

As a restaurant owner or food service manager, you may want to consider adopting a recycling program within your business to encourage the preservation of energy and our environment. Depending on what you are recycling, you can even make a hefty profit too.

Continue reading to learn some helpful tips about food service recycling, including items that can be recycled and where to get started.

Scrap Metal Recycling 1-888-586-5322
Scrap Metal Recycling 1-888-586-5322

Did You Know?

According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), restaurants and food service providers amount to 2% of North America’s total solid waste, which adds up to more than 6 million tons! On average, nearly 1.5 lbs. of garbage is produced per restaurant meal. In fact, some fast food restaurants produce approximately 200 lbs. of trash for every $1,000 in register sales! With statistics like these, you can see why commercial recycling is an important effort to make.

Commercial Recycling

People recycle at home all the time. In fact, several local governments have established residential recycling programs to encourage the initiative. So why not apply this initiative to the commercial world? If you are a restaurant/food service owner or manager, you can! Not only are there several items within the industry that are recyclable, there are certain commodities that can be sold to a local Indianapolis scrap metal buyer for cash on the spot!

What You Can Recycle

Anything MetalSteel, aluminum, and tin cans are common metal items in the food service industry. Also, metal pots, pans, and cutlery are better recycled when replaced.

Anything PlasticAlthough you have to check with your local recycling provider, most plastic items can be recycled. Containers, wrappers, packaging, and disposable cutlery are good examples.

Anything GlassGlass can be melted down or crushed, and reused in a number of applications. Jars, cups, dishware, and anything else made of glass will be accepted by a local recycling company regardless of color.

Anything PaperPaper is one of the most recycled materials. Once you start collecting paper items, you will see just how much there really is to recycle, such as paper trays liners, place mats, napkins, and beverage holders.

Anything That Runs on PowerAppliances, electronics, and anything else that runs on power or has a motor can be recycled; it can really pay off too!

Old Appliances and Electronics

When it comes time to replace an old or broken piece of equipment, like appliances and electronics, you can recycle them instead of throwing them to the junk yard. Broken appliances and electronics still retain valuable metals that can be reprocessed into new scrap metal, making them valuable to enterprises like the scrap metal industry. Most scrap metal recycling centers will pay you cash regardless of the age, make, model, and condition; they might even pick them up and haul them away for you for free.

Getting Started

If you want to be a part of the initiative, join the hundreds of other restaurants and food service operators by developing your own in-house, dockside recycling program. In addition to establishing comprehensive, cost-saving recycling program, you can also implement greener practices, like only buying products in recyclable packaging, or using only recyclable containers. Feeling overwhelmed? Just start with a simple goal, and then build on it with each passing season.

Who to Call for Trusted Service

Call Garden City Iron & Metal at 1-888-586-5322 recycle scrap metal in Indianapolis, Indiana. We buy and recycle any and all scrap metal and metal-containing commodities, regardless of condition. Whether it is covered in rust or not, we will accept anything with metal, including appliances, vehicles, auto parts, farm equipment, construction equipment and materials, boats, watercrafts, scooters, motorcycles, RVs, and more! Request a free estimate, today.

Where To Look For Scrap Copper

Metal recycling is beneficial for numerous reasons. It preserves natural resources, reduces air pollution, stimulates the economy, and best of all, it puts cash in your wallet! That’s right; you can sell your scrap metal to a local Indianapolis scrap metal recycling center. One of the most valuable non-precious metals to sell for a notable profit is copper, even when the market prices are low.

Where can you get your hands on some scrap copper to sell? Continue reading to find out!

Indianapolis Scrap Copper Buyers 1-888-586-5322

Indianapolis Scrap Copper Buyers 1-888-586-5322


Copper has various qualities that make it a desirable metal to repurpose, which is why it tends to always be a hot commodity among scrap metal buyers. Not only does copper retain high thermal and electrical conductivity properties, it is soft and malleable, making it a perfect metal for ornamental work, metal work, and even coinage. This can help you identify some places to find scrap copper around the house, and throughout the town.

Here are some ideas of where to look if you wish to gather and sell scrap copper:

Plumbing

Whether residential or commercial, plumbing components will always offer some form of copper. Of course, you do not want to take apart your shower and kitchen sink to sell your copper faucet, but you can keep any old ones that you replace for resale later on. Common copper plumbing components include sinks and tubs, which come with a higher profit value, as well as, faucets, drains, u-joints, showerheads, and pipes.

Appliances and Electronics

If you have old or broken down appliances or electronics, be sure to save them for resale because they likely contain copper. Since copper is ductile and retains thermal and electrical conductivity properties, it is often used for electrical wiring and computer circuit boards. This means anything that operates electronically or on a computer system, will have copper or other valuable metal in them. For the same qualities, appliances are also a hotbed for scrap copper coils. Refrigerators, water heaters, water softeners, dishwashers, microwaves, and more all contain valuable metals, including copper.

Household Items and Décor

As mentioned, copper is highly malleable and soft, which is why it is commonly used in metalworking and art. This means you can look to your old kitchen pots and pans for some recyclable scrap copper. Other kitchen items that may be made from copper include mugs, plate ware, cutlery, and cooking utensils. Also, any old household décor, such as statues, plaques, medals, clocks, framing, sconces, wall art, and mirrors are all possible sources for copper. Not only will it render you a pretty penny in profit, you can also make room by getting rid of a heap of old junk!

Where to Recycle Your Scrap Copper for Cash on the Spot

Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322

Garden City Iron and Metal 1-888-586-5322

Call Garden City Iron & Metal at 1-888-586-5322 to recycle scrap copper and other types of metal in Central and Southern Indiana. We pay cash on the spot for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as, junk cars, automotive parts, appliances, construction equipment, motorized farming equipment, and much more! Get rid of your junk and make some fast cash at the same time.