BILLINGS - Steel prices hit a record high last month-topping out at more than $1,000 dollars per ton. Steel is used in many things from household appliances to construction to hangers at the dry cleaner. Jason Frank, the owner of Valet Monday Cleaners said rising steel costs are affecting his business.

"In the last month, our prices have gone up 50% on hangers. All hangers are made of steel," Frank said. In an attempt to save on hanger costs he's offering customers about 17 cents for each hanger they recycle. Frank said money is not the only reason he wants consumers to bring their hangers back.

"If we don't recycle it's just gonna end up in the dump, which doesn't help anybody." This idea of recycling steel has another business in Billings booming. "We're dealing with a market we have never seen before," said Marshall Knick of Pacific Recycling.

At Pacific Recycling, people receive money for bringing in scrap metal. Marshall said they offer people anywhere from $60 to 140 a ton for scrap steel. "The customers certainly bring it in when it's to their advantage," Knick said.

Judging by the piles of metal on the lot, many people are cashing in on this surge in prices. "Certainly being busy is good," he said. "It means that people care about recycling." Pacific Recycling accepts everything from old engines to cars to scrap metal. Marshall said they're receiving about 600 tons of steel a month now. That crushes their average rates by more than 200 tons.

Knick said the increase in volume is a blessing and a curse. He said they have trouble getting rid of some of the excess metal they receive.