Have you accumulated some scrap metals and want to get rid of them?

Selling them off might be a good option; however, it’s often challenging to find an appropriate deal with the right prices for scrap metals. And, it’s needless to say that the value tends to vary based on the region.

Certain scrap metal dealers are pretty rigid with their pricing and the metal scraps they accept. On top of that, the high demand for some materials may end up fluctuating their value even more.

Therefore, we thought of giving you an idea about the prices of common scrap metals in Sydney, Australia. This will help you understand whether the scrap metal you have is worth selling or should be recycled.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

What Dictates The Scrap Metal Prices?

When you have gathered a considerable amount of scrap metal, it’s natural to feel that there’s some worth attached to it. And, in most cases, it’s likely to be valuable if there’s any scrap copper or silver present in the mix.

Having said that, you should always have realistic expectations of the maximum price that a dealer might offer. At times, large quantities of metal may end up going for scrap metal recycling without generating much value due to their low quality.

That said, one of the foremost reasons for scrap metal prices to fluctuate is the concept of supply and demand. When there’s a high demand for a certain type of metal on the local market, the prices may increase due to its limited availability.

Most importantly, the supply and demand for various types of metal vary at the local level. If you happen to have a large quantity of any metal, it’s best to contact local scrap metal dealers to get price quotes and assess the current scrap metal market.

Another thing we have noticed is that the scrap metal business in Australia seems to be quite promising. A visit to any local scrap yard will give you a fair idea about the huge demand for copper, iron, lead, steel and other metals. Hence, it’s likely for potential buyers to pay the best prices if you have large quantities of a valuable metal.

Also, other than the increasing demand, the price of scrap metal may vary based on its grade. Here are the different grades followed in Australia for scrap metal.

Grade I

A metal with this grade quality will be pure and definitely not an alloy. The best example would be pure copper, which has one of the highest prices on the scrap metal market. In fact, many scrap metal dealers will offer a considerable amount of money if you even have small quantities of these metals.

Any pure metal like copper, iron, or silver would be included in this category. So, make sure to clean and test your scrap metals to ensure that it’s of the best quality.

Grade II

The metals in this category have a similar quality to those present in the first grade but are less refined. On top of that, these scrap metals aren’t considered pure, so they will fetch you less money from the dealer.

At times, people are thrilled to find pure copper or the highest quality steel, but the presence of other metals can lower its grade. However, when there’s enough demand for a certain metal, you may get higher prices from the scrap yard dealer. But, if you’re picking up scrap metal from someone, ensure to check the metal to avoid getting mixed materials.

Grade III

Before moving on to this grade, we should point out that certain metal types may have their own grade classifications, which is often the case with aluminium or lead. So, if you aren’t sure about the type of metal you have, visit the nearest scrap yard to get further clarification.

Moving on, this grade contains metals that are of far less quality and wouldn’t be profitable to the scrap dealers. Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals fall in this category, and to make money from these metals, you’ll need to have a significant amount of them.

No Grade

Some metals aren’t categorised under the grades of scrap, but it doesn’t mean that these metals won’t be able to fetch you any money. For instance, something made of gold and silver wouldn’t be sold as scrap metals but for their usual price as they are much more valuable materials.

List Of Scrap Metal Prices

Now that you know about the scrap metal grades let’s learn about the individual metal prices. Note that the metal classification or types accepted by a scrap yard may differ based on local demand.

Every scrap metal yard usually has its own list and the price quoted against every kilo of the metal. So, before you settle for a price, check out the individual lists of different local dealers to find out the best prices.

Also, all the metal prices we will mention are in respect of one kilogram of the material unless otherwise stated.

A. Scrap Copper Prices

Most scrap yard dealers will likely quote you different prices for pure copper, mixed copper, copper wire and copper pipes based on the state of those materials. But if you have pure copper, it’s possible to get the most cash out of it. Usually, a kilo of pure copper can fetch you between $5 and $8 based on the quality.

You can also get up to $9.50 by selling stripped copper wires, but the prices may be as low as $2 if the quality isn’t up to the mark. Moreover, clean copper pipes that aren’t covered with paint have similar prices, while the lowest price is quoted for dry bright copper as it goes for about $1.52 per kilo.

Radiators are another popular copper material sold by people and may get you a lot of cash based on their size. We found that some dealers like to buy copper radiators by weighing them together or as individual pieces. Nevertheless, the prices are usually around $3-$15.

B. Scrap Steel Prices

Steel is arguably the most popular scrap metal sold after copper, and it can fetch you a good amount of money in Australia. At its best quality, steel or stainless steel prices can start at $1 and go up to $3. In comparison, something like steel solids can be sold at $2.55 and turnings at $3.91.

On top of that, most scrap yard dealers give around $2.50 for steel batteries and anywhere around $2-$3 for radiators. However, another fascinating aspect of steel is that it can be retrieved from household goods or white goods like fridges, washing machines and car batteries.

Typically, a ton of steel taken from white goods can be priced at a range between $150 and $250. In contrast, heavy 5mm sheets of steel may have a price of up to $350 per ton.

C. Scrap Aluminium Prices

Coming to aluminium, its scrap prices aren’t the best, but still, you can get quite a bit of money from recycling the material. The simplest form of this metal is the commonly found aluminium cans, and you can easily sell them for $0.15-$0.25 per can, but it depends heavily on the dealer.

On the other hand, you can sell absolutely clean aluminium for a price range of $1.00-$2.00. But, the price can go close to $5 per kilo if you happen to be in possession of aluminium extrusions or cuts.

D. Scrap Brass Prices

Another common scrap metal that you might think of recycling is brass. The base price for mixed brass is around $2.65, while clean brass can fetch you anything between $5.00 and $5.50. Other than that, you can sell brass rods, shells, and pipes in a price range of $1-$2.

On checking out the prices of different dealers in Sydney, Australia, we found that you can get the most money for borings, radiators, turnings and wears. You can sell these brass items for up to $3, but it’s essential to be careful about their condition.

E. Scrap Iron Prices

Iron is another commonly found scrap metal that you can get in huge quantities. The best way to check the purity of any ferrous metal is to use a magnet to see whether it has a strong response.

Like other metals, we should mention that the price of iron may vary based on its purity and quality. Leaving that aside, the typical price you can get for iron products is $1.77. It may seem a bit low, but iron also has the tendency of getting ruined pretty fast because of oxidation.

Another form of this metal, cast iron, can be sold at a price of $3.86, but there’s often a slight price difference between light and heavy iron. The heavy variant can be usually sold for $3.83, while light iron goes for a price of $2.18 or less.

F. Scrap Lead Prices

One of the scrap metal prices that always touch the ceilings in Australia has to be that of lead. We have seen a constant demand for lead, and people are ready to pay a lot of money for its superior quality. This is due to the low production of lead, and it’s pretty hard to come by the purest kind in an everyday setting.

Still, if you happen to have access to scrap lead, a kilo of it can fetch around $1.60-$2.20 on any given day. These are usually for sheets, pipes, shots and batteries, where the lead is mixed with other metals for added stability.

Lead sheeting and buffers are said to attract the best price, but we suggest shopping around in scrap yards for the best metal prices.

G. Scrap Bronze Prices

When it comes to selling bronze scrap metal, you can make the most profit with shaving as they often have a price of $4.50. Apart from that, you can sell bronze turnings for up to $4.80, while gunmetal solids, casings, and bearings sell at a price range of $1-$2.

What Should You Do To Take Scrap Metal To Scrap Yards?

The first thing you should do is separate the different metals, even if they go to the same scrap yard. This would help the dealers to weigh them and decide on the metal prices adequately. Plus, it would be best if you had a prior chat with one of the scrap yards or recycling facilities to make the process smoother.

Coming to transportation, carrying heavy metals like steel and iron can be extremely hard by yourself. You should definitely hire a professional team to make the task easier, and this would ensure that none of the metals gets mixed together or damaged while in transit.

Moreover, if you want to remove scrap metals like iron sheets or other materials from construction sites, it’s best to contact a scrap removal company. There’s also an option to contact the recycling centre of the nearby local community for disposing of the scrap metal.

Final Words

That’s everything we had to tell you about the current scrap metal prices you can get from dealers based in Sydney, Australia. However, make sure to visit the local scrap yard to learn about the latest demand in metals and the price trend.

If you happen to own a scrap metal business, there might be times when there’s a requirement for scrap metal removal. In such cases, try to opt for professionals who are experienced in dealing with different forms of metal, as they are also likely to have connections with a recycling facility.

With that, we have reached the end of this guide. We hope you get the best prices for your scrap metal pile, so now, it’s time for you to get started with the calculations for the various scrap metals!

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