How to choose a catalytic converter recycling company
In the wake of recent court cases ongoing in the USA regarding fraudulent behaviour by a major recycling organization, it is more important than ever that scrap catalysts sellers know who they are working with. Nevertheless, some sellers assume transparency and honesty on the part of the recycler which some may now be questioning in light of the unsavoury actions of some catalytic recyclers.
To ensure you get the most for your converters with a process in which you have confidence, we outline here several criteria that can be used in judging the performance and transparency of your recycling partner.
Comparative Count
Your recycler should provide a complete physical count to include a breakdown by whole units, halves, aftermarket converters, wire/metallic/foil converters, diesel units, diesel particulate filters (DPFs), and empty units. This should then be compared with your own count before shipment, and you must know exactly your count, both as a total and with a breakdown, before you ship. You should even send in your “empties” as they may still contain a little catalyst within, and a good processor will cut those and add that material. You should, as well, agree with your recycling partner on how the different materials are run together or separately. For example, metal units that have been trimmed will contain a different percentage of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) than if untrimmed.
Audit your program
Learn key metrics, and track true sales – data doesn’t lie if you know where it came from and how to interpret it. Learn, too, to avoid misleading data, like the average converter price. To know exactly how much money, you are making every time you sell, you should know the true price per unit, and the average price per unit. For these to be accurate, you must know your count and types and hold your recycling partner accountable for any discrepancies.
A Fair Settlement
There are two main sets of contracts that are used in the catalytic converter recycling industry:
- Expanded: these terms and conditions will include all the costs associated with processing, treatment, refining, and financing charges and may offer price market discounts depending on when you sell your metal.
- Condensed: you are paid a fee of each catalyst contained in the order with all the expanded charges included retained by the recycler, with the remainder paid to you. In this contract agreement you will be able to verify the figures and also determine that the percentage retained is fair and reasonable.
Summary
Understanding and taking on board these criteria will help you choose the right company to recycle your scrap catalytic converters. A solid, dependable, and trustworthy partner will proactively help you understand all the issues we have outlined in this article, as his business should be based on building a long-term relationship with you. He should, as a matter of course, verify your count, verify your price and pay you a fair and reasonable amount to recycle your converters. At the same time, understanding the process, and the associated numbers, will reaffirm your confidence in your partner, and make you less liable to lose profit as a result of unethical trade practices.