FAQs

Yes - C4S Recycling is the scrap-metal side of C4S Demolition, a San Diego County demolition, hauling, and HVAC-recycling company with 20+ years in business. Same family, same East County roots, now with its own storefront for scrap metal and cash-for-scrap transactions. You can read more on our About page.

We are at 1664 Industrial Blvd, Chula Vista, CA 91911, open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The yard is closed Sundays. Call (619) 349-2282 or use our contact page if you need directions or want to confirm we can take your material before you load up.

No appointment is needed for walk-in loads during business hours - just pull in during our open hours and our staff will direct you. For large commercial loads, roll-off container drops, or anything that needs equipment to unload, call ahead so we can have the yard and the scale ready for you.

It means the State of California has certified us to redeem CRV beverage containers and pay out the deposit you already paid at the register. Certified centers are registered with and audited by CalRecycle, which is what separates a legitimate redemption center from a yard that will only pay you scrap value for the same material. Our CRV recycling page explains how the program works.

Our yard is in Chula Vista and we serve the South Bay - Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, Bonita, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa - plus East County including El Cajon, Santee, La Mesa, Lakeside, Spring Valley, Rancho San Diego and Alpine. Commercial pickup runs throughout San Diego County. See our Service Areas page for your neighborhood.

Because any number we published would be wrong within days. Copper, aluminum, brass and steel all trade on global commodity markets that move daily, and a posted price would either mislead you or force us to quote low to cover ourselves. Call (619) 349-2282 for a real number on your material today, and read how scrap metal prices are set for the background.

Non-ferrous metals pay the most - copper first, then brass, then aluminum - because they are more valuable and harder to source than steel. Ferrous metal like structural steel and appliances pays less per pound but comes in far heavier volumes, so a load of steel can still be worth bringing in. Our ferrous vs. non-ferrous guide shows how to tell them apart with a magnet.

For non-ferrous metal, California law controls how and when recyclers can pay. Under Business and Professions Code 21608.5, payment can be made by cash, check or general-use prepaid card, but the funds cannot be collected until the third business day after the sale unless a check is mailed to your address on file. Ferrous metal and established business accounts are handled differently - ask us at the scale and we'll tell you exactly how your payment will work.

We weigh on a certified scale and you get a ticket showing the weight and the rate you were paid. Any legitimate yard will weigh in front of you and hand you documentation - if a buyer won't, that is a red flag. Our article on spotting a trustworthy scrap metal buyer covers what else to look for.

Yes. Clean, separated material is worth more per pound than a mixed load, because mixed loads have to be sorted on our end and get graded down to the lowest-value metal in the pile. Separating copper from aluminum, stripping insulation where practical, and keeping steel out of your non-ferrous pile all put more money in your pocket.

Because California requires it, not because we think you stole anything. Business and Professions Code 21608.5 requires recyclers to record a thumbprint and photograph the seller and the non-ferrous material on every qualifying transaction, and to retain that record. These rules exist to make stolen copper and wire hard to move, which protects honest sellers and contractors more than anyone.

No minimum for walk-in customers - bring one AC unit or a truck bed full, we'll weigh either. For large or recurring loads it is worth calling ahead so we can be ready for you, and if the volume justifies it we can talk about a roll-off container instead of you hauling it yourself.

Yes. Call (619) 349-2282 before you come with anything oversized or heavily loaded so we can plan where to put you and have the right equipment on hand. That one call is the difference between a fifteen-minute stop and waiting in the drive lane.

We cannot take hazardous waste, sealed or pressurized containers, items still holding liquids, or anything radioactive. Appliances containing refrigerant have to go through our appliance recycling program rather than straight onto the metal pile. If you are unsure about a specific item, call us before you load it - it takes thirty seconds and saves you a trip.

Separate your metals by type, keep CRV containers apart from non-CRV glass, and drain and empty anything that held liquid. Come prepared to help unload smaller loads; for heavy or awkward material, call ahead so we can have equipment ready. A sorted load gets weighed faster and pays better.

Containers labeled CA CRV or California Cash Refund qualify. The refund is 5 cents for containers under 24 ounces and 10 cents for containers 24 ounces or larger, across glass, aluminum, plastic and bimetal, and 25 cents for wine and distilled spirits sold in bag-in-box, pouch or paperboard carton formats. Containers must be whole and free of dirt, liquid and other contaminants to be redeemed. Our guide to finding a CRV recycling center walks through a first visit.

You can request to be paid per container for up to 50 CRV containers of each material type per transaction - so 50 aluminum, 50 plastic and 50 glass. Above that you are paid by weight, subject to the state's daily load limits of 100 pounds each for aluminum and plastic and 1,000 pounds for glass. For most household loads, by count is worth asking for.

Separate aluminum, plastic and glass into their own bags or bins, and keep CRV containers completely separate from non-CRV glass. Empty out any remaining liquid. Sorted loads move through the scale far faster and avoid a mixed load being downgraded - see our plastic bottle recycling guide for more.

Yes - we accept non-CRV container glass, limited to food and beverage containers. Window glass, mirrors, ceramics, Pyrex and light bulbs are not container glass and cannot go in that stream. Keep it separate from your CRV glass so both can be handled correctly.

It is recovered before the unit is ever cut or processed, using proper recovery equipment and following EPA rules. Venting refrigerant to the atmosphere is a federal violation, which is why sealed systems cannot simply be thrown on a scrap pile. Contractors who need the paperwork can get documentation of recovery - our EPA refrigerant recovery guide for HVAC contractors covers the compliance side.

No, and please don't try. Bring the unit intact with the system sealed and let our people recover the refrigerant properly. Releasing it yourself is illegal under federal law and can be dangerous - there is no upside to doing it in your driveway.

Refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, water heaters, stoves, dishwashers, window and rooftop AC units, and commercial chillers. Anything with a sealed refrigerant system goes through the recovery process first. Full details on our appliance recycling page.

Yes - we handle e-waste including televisions, monitors, computers, laptops and related electronics. See our guides to computer and electronic recycling in Chula Vista and where to recycle your TV.

It depends on the unit and its condition - some appliances have enough recoverable metal value to pay you, while units requiring refrigerant recovery or extra handling are priced case by case. Call (619) 349-2282 and describe what you have and we'll tell you straight before you load it.

Yes. Roll-off containers and scheduled pickups are available for demolition, construction and industrial accounts, so the material leaves your site on a schedule instead of piling up. Contact us with your site address, the type of metal, and roughly how fast it accumulates and we'll size the service to the job.

Yes. Manufacturers with recurring production scrap - punch-outs, offcuts, turnings, drops, obsolete inventory - can set up a standing program with scheduled pickups and consistent pricing rather than one-off drop-offs. Details on our manufacturing scrap services page.

Carbon plate steel is heavy flat steel plate used in fabrication, structural work and equipment repair, and yes - we supply it as a product, not just buy it as scrap. See carbon plate steel products for sizes and availability.

Yes, we will take mixed metal - but understand that a mixed load is graded toward its lowest-value component. On an active site, having crews drop copper and aluminum into separate bins from the ferrous pile is usually worth more than the labor it costs. We can help set that up as part of a container program.

It is weighed, sorted by grade, processed, and sold on to mills and foundries that melt it back into new steel, aluminum and copper stock. That is the whole point of recycling job-site metal rather than landfilling it - the material re-enters the supply chain instead of taking up space in a dump.

A certificate of destruction covering the load, along with the weight documentation from the transaction. That paper is the entire reason certified destruction exists - if a process does not produce documentation you can hand to a brand owner, an insurer, or a regulator, it is just disposal.

Because regular disposal proves nothing. If a recalled or defective product turns up for sale later, or a regulator asks what happened to a quarantined lot, ordinary dumpster disposal leaves you with no evidence. Certified destruction closes that gap for manufacturers, distributors, and any brand protecting its name.

Organic material from land clearing and property maintenance - branches, brush, tree trimmings, palm fronds and similar yard debris. See our green waste recycling page for how loads are handled.

No. Green waste has to arrive clean - no metal, no plastic, no construction debris, no household trash mixed in. A contaminated load cannot be processed as green waste and has to be handled as something else entirely, which costs you time and money. Keep it separated on the site.

Get in touch with your business name, address, phone, and business license or tax ID number, plus a description of the material and roughly how much of it you generate. We'll set up the account and work out pickup frequency and container size from there. Start on our contact page or call (619) 349-2282.

No - California treats established business sellers differently. Under Business and Professions Code 21608.5, when a recycler has a seller's business name, physical address, business phone, and business license or tax identification number on file, the individual ID, thumbprint and delayed-payment requirements do not apply to that account. That is one of the practical reasons to set up an account rather than transacting as a walk-in.

Net-terms billing is available for approved commercial accounts. Terms depend on volume, material type and account history, so it is a conversation rather than a form - reach out and we'll go through it.

Weight tickets for every transaction, EPA-compliant refrigerant recovery documentation for appliances and HVAC equipment, and certificates of destruction where certified destruction applies. Tell us up front what your compliance file needs and we'll make sure the paperwork matches it.

Commercial pickup runs throughout San Diego County, from the South Bay and Chula Vista out through East County and beyond. See our Service Areas page for the neighborhoods we cover most often, or call us with your site address.