Scrap aluminium is paid by weight, so two numbers decide your payout: the rate per kilogram for your type, and the weight the yard records. This guide shows where a per-kilogram figure starts, how a payout is worked out, and where to look up the benchmark yourself. For what moves the price and how to sell better, see How Much Is Scrap Aluminium Worth?.
Where the per-kilogram figure starts
Yards price scrap off the world aluminium price. On 29 October 2026 the official London Metal Exchange (LME) cash settlement was US$3,071 a tonne [1], and the Reserve Bank of Australia's rate was US$0.7053 per A$1 [2]. That is about A$4,354 a tonne, or roughly A$4.35 a kilogram, for new aluminium. Scrap sells below that. We found no sourced Australian yard price list, so we do not print a per-kilogram scrap rate, and we would treat any rate shown without a date as unreliable.
How a payout is worked out
The sum is weight times the rate for the grade, less deductions. A worked example, invented, using a hypothetical rate:
- You deliver 120 kg of clean window extrusion.
- The yard offers A$2.00 a kilogram. That is 120 x 2.00 = A$240, and about 46% of the A$4.35 benchmark.
- If it finds steel fixings and rubber seals and treats 20 kg as contaminated, it might pay a lower rate on those 20 kg or deduct them. Yards differ, so ask before you unload.
If the payment is more than A$82.50, a GST-registered buyer has record-keeping duties under the ATO's scrap code, and may have to withhold 47% from a business seller with no ABN [4]. We cover this in What If Every Scrap Trade Were on the Books?.
Grades, as the ScrapTrade index defines them
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Extrusion (6063) | Clean, uncoated window and door extrusions |
| Used beverage cans (UBC) | Used beverage cans, baled |
| Sheet | Clean aluminium sheet with no coating |
The ScrapTrade Price Index does not list cast or mixed aluminium. When we checked on 30 October it said it was showing reference estimates while live pricing was temporarily unavailable, so we do not print its figures. Use the scrap calculator, which handles kilograms, tonnes and pounds, as an indicative starting point and confirm with the buyer.
Where to track the benchmark
- The LME price in US dollars: the official settlement is published daily by sources such as Westmetall [1].
- The exchange rate: the Reserve Bank publishes daily rates [2].
- The conversion: US dollars per tonne divided by the exchange rate, then divided by 1,000, gives Australian dollars a kilogram. For 29 October that was 3,071 / 0.7053 / 1,000, about A$4.35.
Customs data as context
Australian aluminium scrap exports averaged A$3,790 a tonne in declared value across 2025-26, up 26% on the year before, while tonnes fell 20% [3]. That is a financial-year average of mixed grades, destinations and shipment sizes, so it is not a yard price and should not be compared with a single day's benchmark. See Do Scrap Export Volumes Follow Prices?.
Prices by city
We do not have a verified comparison of aluminium payouts across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide, and we will not publish one without a source. The practical step is to get two or three quotes for the same described load, or compare offers on the marketplace.
Sell it on ScrapTrade
According to ScrapTrade's How It Works page, sellers list with photos and pricing preferences, review buyer offers and accept one, and buyers can also post what they need. The Trust & Safety page says payment is held in escrow from the moment a deal is confirmed and released once pickup or delivery is confirmed on both sides. For loads you would rather not list, Quick Sale arranges free pickup on most loads across Australia, with the value assessed against current prices after collection, so you give up control of the price. You can create a free account to try either. ScrapTrade has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.
What we could not verify
- A sourced Australian yard price for aluminium, or the usual share of the benchmark each grade earns.
- Live ScrapTrade index figures, which were unavailable when we checked.
- City differences.
- The gap between yard price and export value.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scrap aluminium price per kg in Australia?
The LME aluminium benchmark was about A$4.35 a kilogram on 29 October 2026. Scrap sells below it, and we found no sourced yard rate [1][2].
How do scrap yards calculate aluminium payouts?
Weight times the rate for the grade, less deductions for contamination. Ask how your yard grades and weighs.
Why can export value look so different from what I am paid?
Export value is a yearly average across grades, buyers and shipments, and the data does not show what causes the gap [3].
Do scrap yards pay cash in Australia?
Not in NSW or Victoria, where dealers cannot pay cash for scrap. See Scrap Business Rules in Australia by State.
Sources
- Westmetall, Official LME prices, 29 October 2026.
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Exchange rates, 29 October 2026 (US$0.7053 per A$1).
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, waste exports data (ABS records), ScrapTrade calculations, via Do Scrap Export Volumes Follow Prices?. 2025-26 figures are provisional.
- Australian Taxation Office, GST and scrap metal: code of compliance (3 July 2023).
Figures are indicative and not an offer or advice. The worked example is invented. ScrapTrade operates a scrap marketplace and has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.