Scrap Metal Prices Per Pound

Scrap Metal Recycling Guide

Scrap metal yards throughout the United States accept a variety of different types of scrap metal and as a result of the ever increasing metal recycling prices, you can expect to make a fair amount of money from selling yours. As you would expect, some materials typically fetch more cash than others, however the detailed list on the right illustrates common scrap metal prices per pound.

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Similarly, if you are interested on finding out the prices of scrap metal on a more local level, then please follow the relevant links below. We are now directly associated with almost ten thousand scrap yards, we also cover all 51 states in the United States and a large number of cities too. If you are not situated in the United States then please check out our other websites for international scrap metal prices:

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Before I delve further into the more detailed prices for all of the differing forms of scrap metal, it is important for you all to understand how the metal prices are essentially decided by dealers. Ultimately, scrap metal is traded in a very similar manner to stock, in that I mean it is driven by a perpetually shrinking and growing demand. This is set on a local level all over the United States, if you have a dealer close to you that is in need of scrap copper or scrap aluminum then you will get more for your money. However, if they have an excess of any particular metal then they will often offer you a small price for your scrap metal per pound.

As time goes on, the price of scrap metal usually increases. We can observe this by considering the steadily increasing demand of these metals and their prices over the years too. Wherever you are situated in America, you will find that scrap metal yards will prefer to trade per pound rather than by any other unit. This price is also based upon the total weight of clean metal of a certain grade too. I will be providing a more detailed overview of what the different types of metal grades mean and what you can expect to receive for each of them.

Grade (i) 1 – Metals made up of predominantly grade 1 material are very clean pieces with no metal alloys within them. These pieces of scrap metal will always be worth the most to scrap yards and they are therefore the most valuable too. In order to be classified as grade 1, the metal should not be corroded or damaged and not be bound to any other material either.

Grade (ii) 2 – Metals considered as grade 2 are fairly similar to grade 1, however instead of being a pure piece of metal, they are found with various other elements (metal alloys) associated with them. Likewise with grade 1 metals, grade 2 pieces should also not be corroded or damaged and not be bound to any other non-metal alloy.

Grade (iii) 3 – Depending on the type of metal, there may be additional classifications that exist too. Examples of this include aluminum and lead. There are a number of sub-classifications that exist here and they are often the cheapest and least valuable forms of scrap metal that exist.

Un-graded – Furthermore, there are other types of un-graded pieces of metal that exist. Some examples of these include various forms of scrap metal castings, pipes and sheets that may be of use to some scrap yards. In certain occasions these types of metal are more valuable and will return a larger sum of money than some pieces of grade 1 metal.

Scrap Copper Prices Per Pound

Generally the best way to ensure that you get the best scrap copper price per pound is to clean your metal before taking it in to a scrap yard or dealer. If you do this, it essentially saves the dealer a job and therefore they will usually pay marginally more in return. This is particularly important when you are considering methods to attain favorable scrap copper prices because they are higher than all other materials, as a result you will see far more for your metal. Before you choose to clean your scrap copper, you should first ensure that it is pure and not mixed or simply plated. If it is mixed copper then you risk scratching the metal, if it is pure then there is no risk whatsoever.

There are a variety of other factors that need to be reviewed before you are truly able to determine what scrap copper prices per pound you are going to receive. As always you should try your best to strip away any other metals from the copper. It is common for people to bring in their recently sourced copper to the scrap yard with various other pieces of plastic or metal attached to it, the issue with this is that many dealers will simply reject it. This is relatively common with wires, scrap copper wire prices are very dependent on this concept, in addition to the thickness of the coil and of course the length too. One of the most valuable types of copper is actually pure, or solid, copper tubing. While this type of metal is quite rare, if you manage to find some for yourself, make sure that you take it to your local scrap metal yard as soon as possible.

As I have mentioned previously, copper can be found absolutely everywhere and you are likely completely unaware of this. In actual fact, it is one of the most popular types of metal used within electronic equipment found in and around your home. Some examples of places that you can find copper wiring is within the insides of an old computer monitor or television. Within these pieces of hardware, there are often many components made partly or even entirely of copper. Likewise, if you have any old laptops or desktop computers lying about, you should open these up and remove all of the valuable metals. Additionally, many household items are also either made of copper or contain it - take for example a microwave or coffee machine, the wiring within these appliances is also usually copper wire. The best place to find scrap copper wire in the home is actually within fridge freezers or clothes' washing machines. If you have managed to source some of the metal, you can expect scrap copper prices per pound to be between $2 and $5.

Scrap Steel Prices Per Pound

Scrap steel prices per pound are also fairly difficult to determine without an experts advice. They do not vary quite as much as copper or aluminum, however steel is rarely seen as being pure and it is often contaminated with other types of metal too. As a result of this it is extremely hard to find out the true worth of any particular piece. Fortunately, scrap steel is quite easy to find, especially if you are in the building industry. Steel and stainless steel is regularly used in building foundations and within the structures of houses too. Scrap steel is also fairly heavy so you may need some assistance moving large quantities of it around. Do not expect to get a large sum of cash for your metal if you can carry it to the scrap yard by hand, you will likely need a large skip to be transported from your home carrying the steel if you are to expect a significant sum of money.

Scrap stainless steel prices per pound are also fluctuating on a daily basis, they also vary massively from state to state, but the table above can be used to provide some sort of scale for what you may find your metal valuated at. As with any types of metal, it is always good to get a vague idea of what your materials are worth before taking it to a scrap yard so you get a good price. Scrap stainless steel is often much more valuable to dealers if it is not damaged in any way, however even if it is damaged it will be more valuable than typical steel.

In actual fact, stainless steel is one of the most highly sought after types of scrap metal in recent times. It is expensive to make and so scrap metal yards are keen for people to recycling their pieces so that it can be reused over and over again. This is certainly not the case with all ferrous materials.

Scrap Brass Prices Per Pound

Scrap brass prices per pound, much alike nickel, tin, silver and gold are very volatile. They also remain fairly low throughout the year and are not really worth seeking out unless you know that you have a substantial quantity of it in its pure form. The average person is also unable to distinguish brass from other types of scrap metal and so when you take it to your local dealer you may not even know that you have it. It is also a very frequent occurrence for scrap yards to try to pass off aluminum or stainless steel as brass so that they can pay a lot less for these more valuable types of metals.

Scrap Aluminum Prices Per Pound

Aluminum prices also vary an awful lot wherever you are in America. In fact, scrap aluminum is the most volatile type of scrap available and so it is exceptionally difficult for anybody to accurately figure out the exact price they will receive for any one component. Scrap aluminum prices per pound are usually between $1 and $5 per pound, however there is a wide range of factors that affect this. All in all, scrap aluminum is usually in high demand and while it does not always get valued at a high price, it is always easy to get rid of. Some of the main factors that weigh in the pricing of aluminum is the type that you have. There are several different types of aluminum and the various grades of it too, one example of a good source of it is scrap aluminum can prices.

Some of the most commonly found types of scrap aluminum include cables, cabling, casings, wheels, radiators, plates, sheets and also some alloy based materials too. With scrap aluminum prices per pound varying so much, I would recommend searching your home for all the different pieces you can find and then separating it into the different grades before trying to price it all up. Once you have an idea of how much metal you have, you should only then take it to your local scrap yard for proper valuation.

Scrap Iron Prices Per Pound

Iron is extremely difficult to find in its pure form in recent times, it is often always contaminated in one way or another. As a result of this it is another sought after type of metal. Scrap iron prices per pound are fairly stable throughout the United States of America, although they do occasionally change dramatically based upon nationwide demand. The stability can largely be attributed to the large amount of natural iron resources found in the northern, more mountainous states of the country. It is consistently mined in the USA and so the prices remain fairly flat. Due to this we can easily determine the price of scrap iron if it is pure, if not then you will unfortunately need to find an expert or take it to a scrap yard for a more thorough valuation.

Scrap cast iron prices per pound are another good source of income for many people, cast iron is difficult to come across in many homes, but it is regularly found in building sites across the states. If you happen to come across a large quantity of scrap cast iron then you are very fortunate, it sells for a good price and is in extremely high demand too.

Scrap Lead Prices Per Pound

Scrap lead is another metal that is very difficult to find in its pure form, unless we are talking about extremely small quantities that are found in pencils - for example. Not only that, but lead is also very difficult to handle, it is a toxic metal and so searching for large quantities of it is probably not the best idea. Despite this, if you do happen to have a significantly sized portion of lead, scrap lead prices are usually very good and it is readily sold at scrap yards anywhere in the world. Once again, we do not recommend people to actively go in search for this particular metal, even in your own home, it is better for experts to deal with this type of dangerous material.

Metal Recycling Prices

Our scrap metal recycling prices can be found in the table below, unfortunately the prices are so volatile that it is impossible to give a single figure for the entire United States. However, we have done our best to provide you with a set of prices that you are likely to receive at a reputable scrap yard dealer.

Metal Recycling Prices

If you are keen to begin to reap the benefits of recycling scrap metal then continue reading. The number one reason for why many people choose to find out scrap metal recycling prices is because you can make an awful lot of money for it. While this seems obvious to many people, there are also a large number of other reasons for why you may want to choose to recycle. The other major reason for why so many people are turning to scrap yards to get rid of their metal, whether it be copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, lead or a number of other more niche metals too – is because it really does help to keep Earth a clean place.

Whenever people actively recycle their unused pieces of metal, companies across the United States and indeed the world will not need to mine for quite as much metal as they did previously. The demand for this metal will decline somewhat and therefore it is not in their interest to continue the mining process. When we boil everything down to its barebones it is evident to all that we can use and reuse pieces of metal potentially thousands of times. Scrap metal is just metal after all. In addition to this, the mining process is also very resource heavy in itself, massive pieces of machinery are required in order to extract the various types of metal from the Earth and so by recycling scrap metal we are reducing the harmful gasses that are released into Earth’s atmosphere.

This is particularly important for many states in America where there are high levels of pollution, much of which is driven by metal extraction of some kind or another. If you are interested in reading more, there is an abundance of articles out there on the internet that stipulate the benefits of recycling scrap metals in far more detail than I am willing to go into here.

How To Sell Scrap Metal

It is exceptionally easy for people to find pieces of scrap metal in or around their house. However the stumbling block that many find is that they are not sure how to sell scrap metal. Well, that’s what I’m here for, to explain to everybody that it is a very easy process and that there is a complete abundance of scrap metal yards and dealers in almost every city in the United States. Not only this, but scrap yards are also keen for you to do this too, they are always searching for new ways to get scrap metal that can be re-purposed and so they will happily reimburse you for whatever you bring them.

The most important consideration that must be made before taking any metal to a scrap dealer is to price up each and every piece that you have. Scrap metal prices will vary from dealer to dealer and each yard will have a variety of different trading standards that they adhere to as well. It is crucial that you research each individual scrap yard before taking anything to them to ensure that you meet these requirements or you may be leaving empty handed.

Examples of these requirements include what forms of scrap they will accept on site, whether or not they solely require pieces of clean scrap, with no additional materials attached. Or possibly they may be searching for wires, wheels, radiators, cables, metal sheets, metal extrusions, metal castings or many more forms. Due to these requirements, it is occasionally difficult for people to accurately determine what scrap metal prices to expect. However, in these instances I would recommend coming up with a figure in your head and taking your metal to the scrap dealer, you may be able to negotiate quite considerably once you have arrived.

Types of Scrap Metal

If you are new to the world of scrap metal recycling then you are probably wondering about what the different types of scrap metal actually are. Firstly it is important to learn about all of the different grades of metal before you go any further, much of this is detailed in a post I made above. After you have finished reading this you should then spend some time learning about which metals are ferrous and non-ferrous. This distinction is crucial in order for you to learn about what prices to expect for each and every piece of metal you find.

Ferrous metals are generally the cheaper of the two types of metal, although this distinction is not always the case – it usually provides a good starting point for any evaluation. Many people are constantly asking us, what are the differences between a ferrous metal and a non-ferrous metal? Well, a ferrous metal is one that contains, in any trace form, iron or more particularly iron with a valency of two. Ferrous metals are therefore alloys, examples of these include mild steel, stainless steel, carbon steel, cast iron and also wrought iron too. All of these types of ferrous materials will be worth something to a scrap yard, so make sure you keep all of these metals in a separate pile to your non-ferrous pieces of scrap.

You will be able to locate ferrous metals all throughout your home, they are very common and are regularly situated in household appliances such as dishwashers, tumble dryers and even televisions too. Whenever you find a piece of ferrous scrap metal, make sure that you properly evaluate how much it is worth before taking it to a scrap yard.

On the contrary, non-ferrous metals are all of the other types of metals, these are typically worth substantially more to scrap metal dealers than ferrous metals. Examples of non-ferrous metals (those that do not contain iron) include copper, aluminum, brass, tin, zinc, lead, gold, silver and many more too. There are various other characteristics that can be used to determine whether a metal is ferrous or non-ferrous, however that is for another time.

While it is usually difficult to stumble upon an abundance of the more valuable non-ferrous scrap metals, whenever you do find some inside a computer or electronic device, keep it separate from the ferrous pieces you have.

Where To Sell Scrap Metal

As it currently stands there are over fifteen thousand scrap metal yards situated all over the United States of America. Recycling scrap metal could not be any easier than it is today. Not only that, but it also provides massive benefits to you as a person, the community, the environment and it will provide you with a little bit of extra income too. If you want to find out where you can recycle scrap metal, you can purchase our detailed database of all the locally situated scrap yards in the USA. This can be found at the top of this page, our database contains over ten thousand scrap metal yards, their locations and contact details. At this current time we are associated with the largest proportion of scrap yards in the USA than any other provider. Similarly, our scrap metal prices per pound are always up to data and are sourced from an average of all the scrap metal yards in America too.

Scrap Metal Recycling Benefits

Many people are keen to recycle scrap metal for the sole reason of gaining a little bit of extra income. This is perfectly fine, but for those that are currently unaware, there is a plethora of additional benefits that are associated with scrap metal recycling too. Firstly, scrap metal is pretty unsightly and by removing it from your home, you are going to ensure that it looks a little bit nicer. Secondly, scrap metal is detrimental to the environment, many of the metals found in terrestrial environments can seep out toxic compounds over time and damage the earth and natural habitats of animals. Thirdly, recycling scrap metal is indirectly good for the environment too. By getting the best scrap metal prices per pound you will be preventing the equivalent quantity of metal from being mined elsewhere in the world. Doing this has a knock on effect in that it prevents further harmful fossil fuels from being burned and therefore greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere too.

While all of the above is true, scrap copper prices per pound and scrap aluminum prices per pound are without a doubt the main reasons for why people turn to scrap yards in recent times. I think that it is also worth highlighting that it is also possible for people to donate their scrap metal to charities or other community based scrap yards. Doing so will enable the scrap metal to be used in a locally based project, rather than potentially elsewhere in the USA or abroad. Above all else, I think that it is nice knowing that you have contributed to yourself and your community by getting the best scrap metal prices around.