The coronavirus pandemic has turned normal life on its head for everyone across the country and most of the world. This is especially true in the world of traditional office work.

For many of us, we may be temporarily or permanently working from our home offices (or kitchen tables) and our beloved (or not so beloved) offices at our places of work may be doing nothing more than gathering dust and spiderwebs.

If you or the company you work for has decided to close the doors on your traditional office, or if your business is changing locations and you’re transitioning to all-new office supplies, then don’t let your old supplies pile up at a landfill. Make the most from your old office by sending your unwanted scrap metal to be recycled with Roane Metals.

To help you get started, here’s a guide to tell you where to begin to find valuable metals in your old office.

• Filing Cabinets

It’s hard to believe that, in the age where it seems like everything has gone digital, filing cabinets are still a prominent fixture in a traditional office space. There may be multiple filing cabinets in your old office you didn’t even notice.

If you’ve found a new way to organize files or you’ve made the jump to digital, don’t keep dragging that old filing cabinet to the next location. If the cabinet is fireproof, then it may be worth reselling on the secondary market. If not, your cabinet is likely made almost entirely from steel. With some weighing up to 150 pounds, your old filing cabinet could bring back a significant return if recycled, especially if you have multiple in your office.

• Cubicle Partitions and Accessories

Cubicles have fallen out of fashion in many modern office spaces and have instead been replaced with airy, open floor plans.

Most cubicles use a wide range of metal framing and accessories, including shelving, drawers, cabinets, and mounting brackets. Like the aforementioned filing cabinets, there’s an opportunity for a significant return on these items due to the large amount used in a typical office space.

• Office Supplies

When you move a home or office, you start to notice the sheer amount of odds and ends you’ve accumulated. If you looked in the drawers in your office today, you would probably find several small stashes of binder clips, staples, binders, and paper clips. These items and larger office supplies like staplers, scissors, rulers, desk organizers, and wastebaskets are probably made of aluminum, steel, or other metal alloys that can be recycled.

Each item may seem small, but they can easily add up quickly in a typical office space.

• Office Computers

Office technology, like every other type of technology, can get outdated quickly. Technology progresses so fast now that your state-of-the-art computers can look like something from the stone age by the time you get used to a new processing system.

But before you toss out your old computers, try recycling the metal components. The motherboards may be valuable for resale, but the rest can be recycled and given new life. Of course, you’ll want to be sure your information is saved and backed up before recycling your computers.

• Electronics

Computers aren’t the only devices used in a traditional office, but many of these devices are used less and less. What was once seen as standard equipment in the professional world, like fax machines, landline phone systems, copiers, and printers, are now being transitioned to digital versions.

That means all these pieces of equipment that are filled with metal wiring, motors, and power supplies can now find new life through scrap metal recycling.

• Chairs

Many offices are stocked with low-end chairs that will be difficult to resell. Many of these cheap office chairs only sell in large quantities, so trying to resell them on the second-hand market can sometimes be more trouble than they are worth.

Expensive office chairs are usually worth selling second-hand, but all others should be considered for scrap recycling. The frames for these inexpensive chairs are typically made from aluminum or steel, and just one can yield at least a few pounds of metal.

• Furniture

Along with chairs, other office standards like shelving, lamps, and tables may be made from aluminum, steel, or other iron alloys that are often accepted at metal recycling facilities. Like the aforementioned office supplies, these items are often overlooked in your typical workday but could add up to a considerable amount.

• Cords and Cables

Whether you’re moving homes or offices, cords and cables are the types of items that fill your junk drawers and leave you wondering, “What does this go to?”

Stop hauling these around and take them to be recycled. These random cords could be valuable at a scrap yard because many are made with copper wire, which gets some of the best prices when recycled. If you’re remodeling, there may be even more opportunities to recycle copper wiring.

Scrap Metal Recycling at a Scrap Yard Near Me

Don’t lose money when moving office locations. Make the most from your old equipment, furnishings, and supplies by taking them to be recycled at Roane Metals Group. We can even arrange to pick these items up from you. This convenience factor, along with the highest scrap values available, makes Roane Metals Group a top choice when choosing a metal recycling company to sell your scrap metal.

Here at Roane Metals Group, our scrap metal recycling team is filled with experts at identifying metals and using honest weights, which means you will receive the maximum price for the scrap metals you bring us. If you have scrap metal at your office space, home, or other location that you’re ready to get rid of, bring it by one of our two scrap yards in East Tennessee. You can also give us a call at 865-354-4282 or contact us online for more information about scrap metal recycling.