Scrap Metal Prices in Bendigo
Estimated scrap yard payouts in Bendigo on : about $14.48/kg for bare bright copper, $2.65/kg for aluminium extrusion, $8.46/kg for yellow brass. These are our estimates from MetalpriceAPI market prices × typical payout rates × Bendigo's 0.92× regional factor, not quotes from Bendigo yards; call a yard before you go. Where these numbers come from.
Bendigo's mining heritage and current agricultural base drive consistent scrap flow. Yards in Epsom and Long Gully handle both residential and trade volumes.
Current scrap metal prices in Bendigo
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Bendigo's regional rate (0.92×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Bendigo equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.17 | $18.56 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.43 | $4.08 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.32 | $14.09 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.39 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.38 | $2.19 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.73 | $2.51 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.46 | $5.02 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.49 | $21.61 | Grades & payouts → |
Where these numbers come from
| Figure | Value | Source | Type | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper spot price | A$20.17/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Aluminium spot price | A$4.43/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Brass spot price | A$15.32/kg | Calculated: 67% copper + 33% zinc (MetalpriceAPI) | Our calculation from feed prices | |
| Steel spot price | A$0.42/kg | Fixed site estimate of A$0.42/kg | Fixed estimate, not a market feed | |
| Stainless Steel spot price | A$2.38/kg | Calculated: 8% nickel (MetalpriceAPI) + a fixed A$0.50/kg chromium allowance | Our calculation, partly a fixed estimate | |
| Lead spot price | A$2.73/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Zinc spot price | A$5.46/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Nickel spot price | A$23.49/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Bendigo regional factor | 0.92× | Our model (freight distance and yard rate differences) | Our estimate | |
| Grade payout rates | 12–78% of spot | Our estimate from published yard rate cards | Our estimate |
Spot prices are converted to Australian dollars per kilogram. Yard payouts are our estimates (spot × grade payout rate × regional factor), not quotes from any yard. Set when the site launched on 2026-05-16 and not updated since. No live steel scrap price feed is used. The chromium allowance is a fixed figure set on 2026-05-16, not a market price. Full detail: methodology.
How Bendigo compares
Scrap yards in Bendigo pay roughly 8% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.92× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Ballarat (0.93×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to Melbourne for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Bendigo
Bendigo's scrap trade is spread across the old mining suburbs on the north-western side of the city. Eaglehawk and California Gully have the largest operations, including a national recycler's branch on an industrial court in Eaglehawk. Long Gully, Golden Square and Epsom have smaller independent merchants, and East Bendigo, the city's main industrial precinct, has steel merchants and waste contractors that also take metal.
Most buyers are independents, several of them also running waste and skip services, with one national ferrous operator setting the reference price. Mobile pickup from Melbourne-based recyclers reaches Bendigo as well, which adds some price pressure for larger commercial loads.
Where Bendigo's metal goes
Bendigo is 148 kilometres from Melbourne by the Calder Freeway. Ferrous scrap is trucked to InfraBuild's Laverton electric arc furnace on Melbourne's western edge, and non-ferrous metal continues to the Port of Melbourne. That is a longer haul than Ballarat's, and it shows in a slightly lower regional adjustment. Yards batch loads for the trip, so bulky light-gauge steel is worth less here than dense heavy steel that fills a truck efficiently.
What's different about selling in Bendigo
Victoria's cash ban applies, so payment is by electronic transfer against photo identification, and yards keep a record of every purchase. Bendigo's supply comes from agriculture across the northern plains, from local manufacturing and engineering shops, and from a steady turnover of end-of-life vehicles collected by the wreckers. CDS Vic pays 10 cents per eligible drink container at refund points in the city, which beats selling cans by weight.
Sources for the Bendigo sections above (last checked ):
- infrabuild.com: infrabuild recycling bendigo
- localbusinessguide.com.au: scrap metal
- travelvictoria.com.au: distances
- infrabuild.com: infrabuild to increase capacity at its melbourne facility to 1mpta and boost capacity in sydney to deliver more sustainable steel
- consumer.vic.gov.au: scrap metal laws
- cdsvic.org.au
Rules for selling scrap in Victoria
- Governing law
- No stand-alone scrap metal Act. Scrap metal dealers and auto wreckers are regulated under the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1989 and its regulations, and must be registered as second-hand dealers with the Business Licensing Authority (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
- Photo ID
- Yes, for every scrap sale. When buying scrap metal the dealer must record the seller's name, address and identification details. Second-hand dealers accept one photo ID (passport, driver licence, a photo document issued by a statutory authority, a tertiary student card or a firearms licence) or two non-photo documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship certificate, marriage certificate or a Commonwealth health or pensioner card.
- Cash payments
- Cash is banned, in force since 30 May 2018. A dealer must not pay or receive cash for scrap metal. Payment can only be by a cheque that is not transferable or payable to cash, or by electronic funds transfer, and e-currency such as bitcoin is not allowed. Penalty up to 200 penalty units, or a 12 penalty unit on-the-spot fine.
- Scrapping a vehicle
- A scrap metal dealer must not buy a scrap motor vehicle if its vehicle identifier (the VIN on vehicles built from 1 January 1989) has been removed, defaced, obliterated or altered, and a vehicle 15 years old or newer must be entered on the written-off vehicle register as a statutory write-off. VicRoads registration cancellation steps could not be confirmed from a fetched page.
- Container deposit scheme
- CDS Vic (Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme), 10 cents per eligible container. Opened 1 November 2023. Most aluminium, glass, plastic and carton drink containers between 150 mL and 3 litres are eligible.
- Also worth knowing
- For each purchase the dealer records the item description, quantity or weight, vehicle identifier if any, seller details, date and time, a copy of the payment and the staff member's name; on selling it also records the date, time, method and place of disposal. A lot of items each worth under $100 can be recorded as a single entry.
Summarised from the legislation and government guidance below (more on our state-by-state rules guide). Rules change; confirm with the yard before you go.
Sources (last checked ):
- consumer.vic.gov.au: scrap metal laws
- consumer.vic.gov.au: notice for consumers cash payments for scrap metal are banned (PDF)
- consumer.vic.gov.au: evidence of identity
- premier.vic.gov.au: cash scrap ban comes effect today
- premier.vic.gov.au: victorias container deposit scheme now open
- cdsvic.org.au
- epa.vic.gov.au: container deposit scheme
Other Victoria scrap markets
Yards across Victoria pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports. Melbourne is the state capital and typically has the most competitive rates in the state.
Popular items: what they're worth in Bendigo
Estimated scrap value at Bendigo yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Bendigo
5 scrap yards listed in the Bendigo area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 5 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Bendigo
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Bendigo? +
Our yard directory lists Bendigo 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 Bendigo pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 8% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Bendigo eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via Melbourne — 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 Bendigo? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Our estimate for clean bare-bright copper in Bendigo is around $14.48 per kilogram (spot price × 78% payout rate × 0.92 regional factor). 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 Bendigo scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes, for every scrap sale. When buying scrap metal the dealer must record the seller's name, address and identification details. Second-hand dealers accept one photo ID (passport, driver licence, a photo document issued by a statutory authority, a tertiary student card or a firearms licence) or two non-photo documents such as a birth certificate, citizenship certificate, marriage certificate or a Commonwealth health or pensioner card. (No stand-alone scrap metal Act. Scrap metal dealers and auto wreckers are regulated under the Second-Hand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 1989 and its regulations; last checked 2026-09-02.)
Can I be paid cash for scrap metal in Bendigo? +
Cash is banned, in force since 30 May 2018. A dealer must not pay or receive cash for scrap metal. Payment can only be by a cheque that is not transferable or payable to cash, or by electronic funds transfer, and e-currency such as bitcoin is not allowed. Penalty up to 200 penalty units, or a 12 penalty unit on-the-spot fine. (Last checked 2026-09-02.)
What other VIC cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Ballarat, Geelong, Melbourne, Mildura, and others all have active scrap yards covered on this site. Melbourne (the Victoria capital) generally has the most yards and most competitive rates in the state.