Brake rotors are essential components in all cars. Brake rotors are iron discs that are connected to the hub of the tire.
They are a part of a disc brake assembly. Brake rotors work with brake pads to bring your car to a stop.
Brake rotors do not wear as quickly as brake pads. Therefore, brake rotors do not require frequent replacement as brake pads.
However, you will eventually need to replace the brake rotors when they wear so that they function properly.
This guide will explain how to dispose of brake rotors.
Step 1. Search for Local Scrap Metal Collection Agencies or Junkyards
Local scrap metal collection agencies or junkyards are the best place to dispose of brake rotors.
These agencies will most likely recycle the metals in the brake rotors for other uses. You can search for agencies on the internet using city government websites.
Moreover, consider getting information on these agencies from your town hall.
Step 2. Get in Touch with Your Local Scrap Metal Collection Agency
After brake rotors have become worn and unusable, they are considered scrap metal.
Therefore, you must get in touch with your local scrap metal collection agency. You can find one at your local junkyards as well.
Contact a reliable one from the information you collect from your town hall or the internet.
Ask Your Local Scrap Metal Collection Agency What It Will Do with the Brake Rotors
It’s always a good idea to ask your local scrap metal collection agency what it will do with the brake rotors.
It can help preserve the environment if the metal is recycled and used in the production of other products.
Avoid Junkyards and Scrap Metal Collection Agencies That Will Dump Your Metal
Almost all junkyards or scrap metal collection agencies will recycle the brake rotors to some extent.
However, you should not consider handing over your brake rotors to such agencies that won’t.
This is because the metals will end up in a landfill. It will most likely stay there for decades before starting to decompose.
Leaving metal in landfills instead of utilizing them can affect the environment negatively. This is because more metal will need to be mined for consumer products.
Instead, it’s best to use existing metal from brake rotors and other scraps as raw materials.
Step 3. Get All Details for Dropping Off the Brake Rotors to Your Local Junkyard
Contact the junkyard or local scrap metal collection agency and ask them if they will take the brake rotors off your hands.
If they accept, schedule a time when you can drop off the brake rotors.
Set Up an Appointment in Advance
It’s always best to set up an appointment beforehand. Brake rotors are heavy. So, you want to make sure you only make one trip to the junkyard or scrap metal collection site.
You can also ensure that the site is prepared to take the brake rotors off your hand at that time.
You’ll save time, money, and effort by making a phone call before heading over to the site.
Step 4. Prepare the Brake Rotors for Transportation
Brake rotors are made of cast iron. Therefore, they are quite heavy, making handling a challenge. Keep the following in mind.
Place the Brake Rotors in a Cardboard Box
It’s best to place the brake rotor in a cardboard box during transportation.
The box will ensure that the brake rotor does not damage or make a mess of your car’s interior. If you’re transporting more than one brake rotor, consider using a second cardboard box.
This way, you won’t risk the rotors falling out of the box in the moving vehicle. If you can’t find a large enough box, flatten it.
Be Wary of the Brake Rotors Leaving Oil Stains Behind
Brake rotors won’t pose any risk to you when handling them. So, you don’t have to wear any kind of safety attire.
That said, the brake rotors may have traces of oil on them. Therefore, you should be sure to keep it away from your clothes when handling them.
You will prevent oil stains from getting on yourself.
Place Old Brake Rotors in a Bag to Prevent Them from Staining Your Car’s Interior
At the same time, you can consider covering the brake rotors in plastic bags when transporting them in your vehicle.
It can leave a stain on the interior if you’re not careful. Try using biodegradable plastic bags to try and reduce the impact on the environment.
You could just keep the rotors in the cardboard box if you feel they do not have much oil.
Moreover, you could double up the cardboard boxes for extra protection. Place the box with the rotors in another empty box.
Step 5. Ask Your Local Scrap Metal Collection Agency About Compensation for the Brake Rotors
Most will provide you with some form of compensation for the brake rotors you drop off.
Therefore, you must bring this up with the representative there. You can head off with a few extra dollars for choosing to deliver it there.
Consider taking other scrap metal with you when going to the junkyard. You won’t receive much money from giving away brake rotors alone.
Therefore, you can dispose of other scrap metals to make the trip worthwhile.
However, make sure to ask the junkyard if it will accept the other smaller scrap metal parts you wish to take. Some junkyards don’t accept small pieces of metal.
You Can Receive More Compensation for Better Condition Brake Rotors
In some cases, the metal on the brake rotors may be in good condition, even if the rotors are not functional.
Therefore, you can receive even more compensation for the brake rotors you drop off.
The amount of money you’ll receive from a scrap metal collection agency will vary from one agency to another.
That said, you can expect to receive approximately 0.7 cents per pound for the brake rotors. It may not seem like much.
However, brake rotors are quite heavy. So, you can get some money to at least cover the fuel for transporting the brake rotors.
Other conditions that can affect the amount you receive for disposing of brake rotors are as follows.
- The market value for the type of metal brake rotors are made from
- The time of year
- How much demand there is for scrap metals
- The location of the junkyard
Larger vehicles have heavier brake rotors.
As a result, you can receive more compensation. Typically, brake rotors on vehicles weigh between 15 pounds and 40 pounds.
Step 6. Place the Brake Rotors in the Correct Bin
After settling everything with the representative at the scrap metal collection site, hand over the brake rotors.
You most likely will have to place the brake rotors in disposal bins yourself. In that case, make sure to ask the representative to tell you which bin to place it in.
If you fail to place the rotors in the correct bin, you may damage the junkyard’s sorting equipment.
What to Keep in Mind When Disposing of Brake Rotors
Nearly 100% of metal brake rotors can be recycled.
Therefore, you should always look for recycling options instead of throwing them away.
Do Not Brake Rotors in the Trash
You should not throw brake rotors in the trash because it is not an environmentally friendly act.
The metal is better off recycled than lying in a landfill.
Some Brake Rotors Are Non-Recyclable
Some high-end sports cars made by brands such as Porsche and Ferrari do not use metal brake rotors. Instead, they use carbon-ceramic brake rotors and brake pads.
You cannot recycle brake rotors of this material. So, you should throw it in the garbage instead.
Do Not Put Brake Rotors in Household Recycling
As mentioned before, brake rotors are heavy and large in size. Therefore, you should not place them in your household recycling or curbside recycling bins.
You will most likely damage sorting machines if you do. Instead, hand it over to your local scrap metal collection agency or junkyard.
Consider Recycling Brake Rotors for a DIY Project
It can seem like it requires a lot of work to recycle brake rotors. However, the process is necessary.
With busy schedules, you may struggle to find the time to transport them. In that case, you can hand them over to someone you know who uses them for DIY projects.
If you’d like to be creative, you could use the old brake rotors for your own DIY project.
You can make many products and items at home using scrap metal. Some examples of these items include:
- Dumbbells
- Boat anchors
- Grinder stands
- Windchimes
- Wall clocks
- Sculpture bases
- Tractor wheel weights
- Floor lamp bases
Last Few Words
It can be a bit expensive to dispose of brake rotors because transporting may not be easy.
However, you can also take other scrap metal for disposal to reduce your costs.
If you don’t want to dispose of it, try to recycle it yourself through a recreational, creative project.
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