[Highland Park] removing awnings

Hello neighbors, My husband I bought a house here in Highland Park this past spring that came with a whole lot of awnings attached to our front porch. I am counting down the days until we remove them. Has anyone had experience removing metal (maybe they are aluminum?) awnings - is this something we can easily do ourselves? Will it require any certain tools or equipment and finally, what might be the best use of awning-pieces once they blissfully come down? Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated! Best, Breanna