Scrap Metal Prices in Adelaide
Adelaide's auto manufacturing legacy left a dense network of yards, particularly in Wingfield and Regency Park. Defence and shipbuilding contracts at Osborne keep specialty alloy demand strong.
Current scrap metal prices in Adelaide
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Adelaide's regional rate (0.95×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Adelaide equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.56 | $19.53 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.62 | $4.38 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.61 | $14.83 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.40 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.37 | $2.25 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.65 | $2.52 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.57 | $5.29 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.31 | $22.15 | Grades & payouts → |
How Adelaide compares
Scrap yards in Adelaide pay roughly 5% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.95× regional adjustment). Among Australian capital cities, rates here are closest to Canberra (0.93×). Proximity to major ports and smelter networks keeps Adelaide's rates close to the national best.
Where the yards are in Adelaide
Adelaide's yards sit in the inner north-west. Wingfield is mostly industrial land given over to recycling, manufacturing and freight forwarding, with the 94-hectare Wingfield Waste and Recycling Centre at its core and both a national recycler and independent ferrous processors alongside. Next door, Gillman is an industrial suburb in Port Adelaide Enfield where several independents buy copper, aluminium and steel and export directly. Regency Park is warehouses and semi-trailers rather than yards, but it is where much of the metal-generating industry is.
South of the city, Lonsdale is the other cluster: an industrial suburb in Onkaparinga with a national recycler yard, a general recycling depot that also takes containers, and copper buyers serving the southern suburbs. Car-removal operators work out of both ends.
Where Adelaide's metal goes
Port Adelaide, a short drive from Wingfield and Gillman, is the export gateway. Flinders Ports lists metals and scrap metal among the cargoes it handles there, so containerised scrap leaves without a long haul. The Whyalla steelworks is 395 km north, and if its planned electric arc furnace is built it would become a domestic outlet for ferrous scrap. For now the metro yards are close to the port and to each other, which keeps Adelaide payouts near the top of the regional range.
What's different about selling in Adelaide
South Australian yards operate under the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1996, which requires dealers to notify police and keep transaction records, and the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025 will add dealer registration, photo ID checks and a ban on cash and cheque payments once it is proclaimed. South Australia has run its 10-cent container deposit scheme since 1977, so drink cans go to a depot rather than the scrap scale. Beyond the shipbuilding and defence work at Osborne, Adelaide's remaining manufacturing in the north-west and the brewery, food and logistics operations around Regency Park are the steady industrial sources of stainless, aluminium and clean steel.
Rules for selling scrap in South Australia
- Governing law
- Currently the Second-hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1996; dealers are not licensed but must notify police before starting business. A stand-alone Scrap Metal Dealers Bill 2025 was introduced into Parliament in late 2025 to register scrap metal dealers. Whether it has commenced could not be confirmed, because the SA legislation and Premier's websites blocked fetching. Its commencement date could not be confirmed from an official page at the time of writing.
- Photo ID
- Under the 1996 Act dealers must keep detailed records of all transactions; the Law Handbook page does not spell out photo ID for sellers. The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill 2025 would require dealers to keep records of customer identification and payment details. The exact ID documents it will require have not been published on a page we could verify.
- Cash payments
- Not banned under the 1996 Act. The Scrap Metal Dealers Bill 2025 would stop businesses advertising or paying cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency for scrap metal. Commencement not confirmed.
- Container deposit scheme
- South Australia's container deposit scheme, 10 cents per container, under Part 8 Division 2 of the Environment Protection Act 1993. In place since January 1977 (the refund rose from 5 to 10 cents in 2008). Wine and spirit bottles, juice and cordial containers and larger flavoured milk containers are to be added, with NSW and SA committing to late 2027.
- Also worth knowing
- Dealers must hold goods for at least ten days (three days if full purchaser details are recorded), must notify police of suspected stolen goods, and can be disqualified if stolen goods are found on their premises three times in 12 months. The 2025 Bill excludes automotive repair businesses selling vehicles to a legitimate scrap metal dealer or dismantler.
Summarised from the legislation and government guidance linked on our state-by-state rules guide. Rules change; confirm with the yard before you go.
Other South Australia scrap markets
Yards across South Australia pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports.
Popular items: what they're worth in Adelaide
Estimated scrap value at Adelaide yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Adelaide
30 scrap yards listed in the Adelaide area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 30 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Adelaide
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Adelaide? +
Our yard directory lists Adelaide yards with addresses, phone numbers and Google ratings, but we don't rank them — the best yard for you depends on the metal, the load size and who is paying well that week. The practical approach is to call 2-3 yards before transporting a load: published rates are useful guides, but actual offers vary by day, load size, and material quality.
Why does Adelaide pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 5% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Adelaide eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via the state capital — and yards price the freight cost into their offer. Our regional adjustment is modelled from observed yard rates plus distance to processing facilities.
What's the highest-paying scrap metal in Adelaide? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $15.23 per kilogram in Adelaide. Brass and aluminium follow, with steel paying the least per kilogram but compensating through volume — most ferrous loads are weighed on commercial weighbridges where small differences in rate matter less than tonnage.
Do Adelaide scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes for most non-ferrous metals and always for lead-acid batteries and catalytic converters. South Australia legislation requires yards to record seller identification on regulated transactions, primarily to deter metal theft. A driver's licence is the most commonly accepted form. Cash payments above certain thresholds may require additional documentation under state-specific regulations.
What other SA cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Mount Gambier, Whyalla all have active scrap yards covered on this site.
When is the best time of week to bring a load to a Adelaide yard? +
Tuesday through Thursday mornings generally produce the best experience. Yards are less crowded than Mondays (when weekend volume arrives), prices are stable mid-week, and weighbridge wait times are shorter. Many Adelaide yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.