"I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
If you work in government service, I apologize for the satire. President Ronald Reagan used it well to express how many Americans felt about the government at the time. And I believe it aptly expresses how many recyclers feel about converter recycling companies.
Are you really here to help me? Or are you here to help yourself make more money off of me?
It does not seem to matter how you sell the scrap catalytic converter, you can easily be taken advantage of - even if you are a knowledgeable and experienced recycler. This is true of the entire recycling supply chain; from recycler to collector to processor and even to secondary smelter, miner, and refiner.
Free trade and market dynamics are essential. Volume equals leverage and is the only factor that commands an increase in margin. Transparent and accountable sales transactions must be verifiable. An independent expert that represents you in the trade is worth their weight in platinum, palladium, and rhodium.
Catalytic converter recycling is an industry that breeds cynicism and contempt; thankfully, nowadays, there is more profit and light in a previously dark domain.