Learn / How Much Is My Scrap Worth?
Short answer: it depends on five things. Here's what actually determines the number, not just a price table that goes out of date the day you read it.
The single biggest factor. Clean bare copper and copper still inside insulated cable are the same metal at very different prices.
Dirt, oil, attached non-metal parts, or mixed materials all reduce what a buyer will pay, since they add work before the metal is usable.
Larger, consistent loads are usually worth more per kilogram than the same material scattered across small, mixed batches.
Scrap prices move daily with global commodity markets. What copper was worth last month tells you very little about today.
Distance to a buyer or port, and who's paying for freight, both get reflected in the price you're actually offered.
Vehicles are priced differently from raw metal. Base value tracks the car's weight in ferrous and non-ferrous metal, but specific components move the number more than the body itself: an intact catalytic converter, a working battery, and complete wheels can add meaningfully more than the scrap steel alone. A heavier, more complete vehicle is worth more, and the gap between a stripped car and an intact one is often larger than people expect.
A general sense of value is useful, but it isn't the same as knowing what your specific material is worth today. Check ScrapTrade's price calculator for a live, material-specific estimate, then read how grading affects price before you sell. The gap between a well-sorted load and a mixed one is frequently the entire margin on a deal.
Different sources price different things: some quote clean, bare-bright grade only, others quote a blended average across grades. Always check what grade a listed price actually assumes before comparing it to your material.
It varies widely by weight and completeness. Base scrap value is largely driven by the vehicle's weight in ferrous and non-ferrous metal, but an intact catalytic converter, battery, or wheels can add significantly more than the body metal alone.
Prices track global supply and demand rather than a fixed seasonal pattern, so there's no reliable 'best month.' Checking a live reference price before you sell matters more than timing a season.
Use a live calculator with your specific material, weight, and location. ScrapTrade's price calculator covers 24 materials across 10 countries and updates daily, so the number reflects today's market, not a static table.
Get a live, material-specific estimate in your currency.
Try the Calculator