American Iron & Metal Co at 1050 Brookside Dr, Richmond, CA 94801

Look, I’m not trying to start drama, but something feels off about this place. I brought in two and a half big bags of crushed aluminum and two bags of plastic, and they gave me $74. My sister brought in less than me and got $80. That doesn’t add up. And here’s the thing—I was the only customer there that day. When I went inside to get paid, I saw the guy helping me take cash from the counter and put it in his own pocket. Then the girl working with him was right there. I don’t know what’s going on, but it sure looks like they’re skimming money and splitting it between them. Just watch your back if you go there. ---

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went to this recycling place, but it ended up being way easier than I thought. The only weird part is that you have to drive past the train tracks and all the way to the back—it’s not exactly obvious where to go. But once you’re there, parking’s right on the left, and they’ve got everything set up nice and neat. There are carts everywhere for loading your stuff, and they’ve got separate bins for glass (by color), plastics, and aluminum. Pro tip: sort everything at home first—take the caps off those plastic bottles, or they’ll send you right back to fix it. The people working there were actually really decent. They didn’t rush me, even though I showed up around 8 AM, which was a smart move—later in the day, the line gets long, and you’ll be waiting forever. They kept things moving but still took the time to walk me through how it all works, which was helpful since I’d never been there before. All in all, it’s a no-nonsense place that does what it says. If you’re in Richmond and need to drop off bottles and cans, this is the spot. Just sort your stuff ahead of time, get there early, and you’ll be done in 10 minutes. ---

You *have* to be in line by 11:30 or 12 PM—no exceptions. But honestly, I always leave here in a good mood because the whole family who runs the place and the staff are just so friendly. It’s the little things, like how they’ll chat with you while you’re waiting or how they make sure everything runs smooth. Makes the whole trip worth it. ---

I hate recycling—it’s the worst. I only do it once a year, and when I went on Friday, October 9th, before 9 AM (because that’s when they open), there was already a line. And not just a short one—people had way more bags than me. Everyone was masked up, some even had gloves on, and the staff seemed professional. They had signs up about social distancing and where to stand in line. I waited about an hour and walked out with $16.99 in cash. It’s not a bad deal, but the place could use a good cleaning. If they fixed that, I’d give them another star. ---

I showed up at 4:12 PM, broke my back to get there on time, and the place was already closed. Their sign says they close at 4:30, but the gate was locked, and no one was around. It’s not cool to post hours if you’re not actually going to follow them. I’m not asking for much—just don’t lie about when you’re open. Now I don’t trust them, and I’m not coming back unless they fix this. Really frustrating.