Top 7 Most Valuable Scrap Metals

By AWD Digital

If you have recently renovated your home or own a business which manufactures goods containing metal parts, chances are you have some scrap metal lying around which could be turned into some serious cash. It is handy to know which metals are the most valuable when it comes to recycling your scrap. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper and brass are typically worth more at the scrap yard than ferrous metals (those which contain iron). Read on to learn about 7 of the most profitable scrap metals.

Copper

Copper is one of the most common metals you can find around your home and one of the most highly sought after at the scrap yard. If you have any old electrical appliances lying around or any old pipes left from a plumbing upgrade, it is likely you have some copper on your hand which you could turn into scrap.

Brass

You may not realise that you have quite a lot of old objects lying around which contain brass components. If it you have an item whic looks gold when clean but you know it’s not made of gold, there is a good probability it’s made of brass. You’ll find brass in all sorts old ornamental objects such as candlesticks, plates, trophies as well as brass fittings, door handles/knockers and bed frames.

Silver

Scrap metal buyers can sometimes offer higher scrap metal prices for silver than what you would be offered at a jewellery store or pawn shop. If you have old jewellery, silverware, medals, or antique vases, you could make some easy money buy converting your silver scrap into cash.

Aluminium

When people think about sources of aluminium scrap the first thing that comes to mind tends to be softdrink cans. While aluminium cans and other kinds of packaging can actually provide a good return when recycled at the scrap metal yard, there are plenty of other items from which aluminium can be harvested. Old electronic devices such as computers and gaming consoles, car parts and even bike frames can all contain significant amounts of aluminium.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is one of the most commonly found metals in Australia today. Stainless steel is often seen as less valuable, mainly because there seems to be so much of it around. However stainless steel’s value is often driven up by the fact that it contains other metals such as chromimum or chrome (10% or more), nickel molybdenum and iron. Different grades of stainless steel scrap will have different value and the grade will depend on the amount of nickel that the alloy contains.
Stainless steel can often be found in appliances, whitegoods and other kitchen equipment as well as some automotive parts and machinery found in factories and warehouses. It’s important to remember that you will most likely get a lower price at your scrap yard if there is oil or grease on the metal compared to that which you will be offered for clean stainless steel.

Gold

Like silver, gold is a precious metal which is worth more than most other kinds of scrap however it tends to be considerably harder to come by. The gold objects which usually come to mind include jewellery, old coins an antique items. However, outdated electronics often contain parts with a high enough level of gold to make harvesting the metal worthwhile. Some effort and research (on the harvesting process) will be required to remove the gold from computer parts and other electronics, however the return you will get from turning the scrap into cash is likely to be much higher than from most other types of scrap metal.

Lead

Lead scrap can prove to be extremely profitable when recycled however, it can be very hard to get our hands on a pure source of the non-ferrous metal. If you do in pure lead scrap it is vital that you take the necessary precautions so as not to contaminate your surroundings with it as it is highly toxic. Lead can also be very difficult to transport as lead items tend to be very heavy. Nonetheless, scrap lead is usually in high demand and therefore worth the effort it takes to locate and transport.

If you have scrap lead or any other kind of ferrous or non-ferrous scrap metal you can arrange to have it picked up from your home or business via our convenient 24 hour scrap metal pickup service. We supply the bins, deliver them to your property and come back to collect them at your convenience.

You might be surprised by how much scrap metal is actually worth something – everything from cables and wires to old alloy wheels, fridge motors, and much more can be sold to a scrap metal dealer for cash.

We mean “cash” in the metaphorical sense, of course – it’s illegal to sell scrap metal cash-in-hand these days, but some common items can see you receive a tidy electronic payment.

If you’re working with scrap regularly, or are perhaps just doing some renovations at home, then these are the items to look out for.

The most valuable metals

It’s hard to give a general price for different kinds of scrap metal, as they fluctuate all the time. Generally speaking, though, the most valuable types of metal (setting aside the obviously expensive gold, silver and platinum for a while) are, from least to most:

• Steel
• Lead
• Aluminium
• Titanium
• Brass
• Copper

Although, again, this isn’t set in stone. Lead is worth more than stainless steel, but other kinds of steel can be worth far less. Alloys can affect the price too, as can the condition – corrosion and contamination can make a certain kind of metal much less valuable.

But one thing’s for sure – copper is almost always going to be top of the pile, so hang onto it, rather than taking it down the tip.

For a proper quote, you can always get in touch with us – we’ll be happy to help.

Where are they often found?

It’s not always obvious what metal something is made of, so here are a few things to look out for on your hunt for scrap…

Steel

So many items contain steel, making them ripe for the scrap yard. Old ladders, coat hangers, beams and pipes could all contain steel.

As mentioned earlier, keep a particular eye out for the more valuable stainless steel, particularly in the kitchen – catering equipment, old cutlery and even parts of old fridges could be well worth scrapping. Handrails and countertops in more modern buildings could also be stainless steel.

Lead

Lead is nowhere near as common as it once was because of the health risks involved. However, larger batteries, particularly car batteries, still contain lead.

Old lead pipes – hopefully long-removed – may still be lurking in basements. Lead weights are another household item that might be knocking around, and are well worth bringing in too.

Aluminium

Aluminium could be found in gutters, awnings, sidings, signs, and many more building materials. The light weight of the metal also sees it used in electronics – so anything old that can’t be resold intact might be best sold for scrap.

Metal furniture is also often made of aluminium – everything from tables and chairs to lamps. Television antennae and satellite dishes are another good source, and aluminium wires are also common.

Titanium

Titanium’s not quite as common, but electronics may contain this lightweight – but very strong – metal. Its properties also mean it’s regularly used for sporting equipment, such as bikes or golf clubs. If they can’t be sold on as they are, they may be worth scrapping!

Brass

Got a lot of old trumpets lying around? If not, taps, lamp fittings and doorknobs may be made of brass – particularly at the more decorative end of the spectrum.

Brass is often used in plumbing components – you might find that some of the fixtures connecting things like dishwashers to the pipes are made of brass. Mechanical bearings and gears might also be made of brass.

Copper

It’s well known that copper always gets a good price as scrap – it’s why it’s so often stolen. We absolutely do not recommend stealing copper wires, because it’s not just illegal but highly dangerous as well, but if you have copper wires or pipe left over from a plumbing or electrical job, then you should definitely bring it to a scrap dealer.

Old boilers and building gutters are often made of copper, while copper wires can be found in everything from washing machines to dishwashers, cameras, blenders, computers and much more.

If you can’t resell this stuff, then taking them apart to have a look for any sellable scrap is always a good idea before you get rid of them for good.

Just bring it all down and let us sort it

While it’s best to keep an eye out for the above, there’s no need to be picky – our scrap metal drive-in service means you can bring a job lot of everything down to us and we’ll sort it all for you.

We’ll also test your scrap metal on-site, giving you a proper analysis of what you’ve actually got, so you know you’re getting the best price.