Scrap Metal Guides & Market Notes
Practical guides for Australian scrap metal sellers: how to grade copper for the best rate, which appliances are worth tearing down, when the Container Deposit Scheme beats scrapping, how regional pricing works, and what the LME actually means for your local yard payout.
- Explainer
Why Darwin pays less than Sydney: understanding regional scrap pricing
The same kilogram of copper is worth different amounts depending on which Australian city you sell it in. Here's why location changes the price — and how to use that knowledge.
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Container Deposit Scheme vs scrapping: when each one wins
For aluminium and steel cans, Australia's 10c Container Deposit Scheme almost always beats scrap value — but not always. Here's exactly when to redeem and when to scrap.
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What's actually inside your appliances: a scrap teardown value guide
Old fridges, washing machines, and air conditioners are full of valuable metal — but most of it is hidden inside motors and compressors. Here's what's worth pulling apart before the yard, and what isn't.
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Bare bright vs #1 vs #2 copper: the grading guide that pays for itself
Copper is the most valuable common scrap metal, and how it's graded at the yard makes a dramatic difference to what you're paid. Here's how Australian yards sort copper, and how to prepare yours for the top rate.
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How to read the LME — and what it actually means for your scrap load
The London Metal Exchange sets the price of copper, aluminium, and most other metals worldwide. Here's how that global benchmark turns into the rate a Sydney or Perth yard pays you per kilogram.
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