It’s not hard to think of scrap metal as the original “recycled” material. In fact, they were recycling metal way before anyone was even using the word “recycle.” During WWII the entire country joined together to support what was called “the war effort.” While it might be hard to understand today, back then the government actually instituted a rationing program. You had to get coupons from the government to buy coffee, sugar, gas, meat, cheese, butter and pretty much anything made of metal. The reason was that the bulk of all our nation’s resources were going to the war effort to support the troops. To get these coupons, you had to go before your local rationing board, in person and tell them how many people were in your family. There was even a ban on auto racing and sightseeing. It was all about conserving precious fuel.

As the war geared up, tons and tons of steel was required to make all the battleships, bombs, planes and ammunition. There simply wasn’t enough available metal. This is when the scrap metal drive began in every neighborhood across the country. Boy Scout troops, church groups, school classes and other organizations would scour neighborhoods looking for any bit of metal that could be tossed onto a truck. Everything was fair game from broken down autos, to bicycles, to tin cans, to fans: it could all be melted down. This was a true shared sacrifice. While there were surely some who might have griped, overall these programs proved to be very effective and help push the war effort towards victory. Could we pull of that same kind of nationwide cooperation today?

Sadly, greed often has replaced that idea of sacrifice for the common good. Case in point: Recently some employees over in Hardin County were caught red handed selling scrap metal for profit. While there is nothing wrong with selling scrap metal, this particular scrap metal was supposed to be sold on behalf of the local government. In other words, it was metal left over from government projects so selling that would have given much needed funds back to the government. Instead, these crooks stole the metal and even used their own scrap metal business to profit.

When you’re dealing with scrap metal in these huge amounts you might be able to get a few bucks for the effort. Most of us only have a small pile of scrap metal that needs to be disposed off that really won’t be much of a payday. Like the WWII metal drives, our scrap metal could be old bikes, car fenders, tire rims or anything else around our house that is collecting rust. To get rid of that and remove the temptation from any would be thief you should hire professional junk haulers like Junk King Nashville. These are the experienced hauling crews who can show up at your home at the appointed hour to remove this junk. Remember it doesn’t just have to be metal. Junk King Nashville won’t mind one bit if you also toss on some old furniture or other over-sized items onto their truck. They are happy to oblige. And they’ll make sure all your junk is properly disposed of including recycling.