Scrap Metal Prices in Bunbury
Bunbury's port handles alumina exports and serves the South West mining region. Scrap yards benefit from proximity to mineral processing facilities.
Current scrap metal prices in Bunbury
Spot price equivalents adjusted for Bunbury's regional rate (0.88×). Actual yard payouts apply the grade-specific payout rate on top — typically 12–78% of spot depending on grade.
| Metal | Sydney spot | Bunbury equiv. | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | $20.56 | $18.09 | Grades & payouts → |
| Aluminium | $4.62 | $4.06 | Grades & payouts → |
| Brass | $15.61 | $13.74 | Grades & payouts → |
| Steel | $0.42 | $0.37 | Grades & payouts → |
| Stainless Steel | $2.37 | $2.08 | Grades & payouts → |
| Lead | $2.65 | $2.33 | Grades & payouts → |
| Zinc | $5.57 | $4.90 | Grades & payouts → |
| Nickel | $23.31 | $20.52 | Grades & payouts → |
How Bunbury compares
Scrap yards in Bunbury pay roughly 12% below the Sydney national benchmark (0.88× regional adjustment). Among Australian regional centres, rates here are closest to Port Macquarie (0.88×). Rates here reflect moderate transport costs to the nearest capital for export and processing.
Where the yards are in Bunbury
Bunbury's yards cluster in two industrial suburbs on the eastern edge of the city. Picton, including the Glendale Industrial Park along the South Western Highway, holds the largest operation, a weighbridge yard paired with a separate processing facility fitted with an electric shear-baler rated at around 200 tonnes a day. Davenport, nearer the port, has a smaller independent that offers free bins and pickups.
The buyers are regional independents rather than national chains, but the Picton processor gives Bunbury something most regional WA cities lack: the capacity to prepare export-grade material locally instead of shipping loose scrap to Perth.
Where Bunbury's metal goes
Scrap that comes through Picton is segregated and processed on site. Ferrous material goes to local end users, and metal that cannot be used locally is exported to international buyers through the Port of Bunbury, whose main trades are alumina, mineral sands and woodchips. Perth is 175 km north, but with a port and a baler in town, Bunbury sellers are not paying for that haul, and payouts hold up better than the distance alone would suggest.
What's different about selling in Bunbury
Western Australia regulates scrap through the Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 1994: since 1 December 2020 anyone buying scrap copper, brass or bronze must hold a second-hand dealer licence, take 100 points of identification from every seller and report each transaction to police, though cash itself is not banned. Containers for Change, the state's 10-cent container refund scheme, has run since October 2020 and was widened to most drink containers from July 2026, so cans are usually worth more at a refund point than on the aluminium scale. Mining and mineral processing are Bunbury's main economic driver, with alumina refining and Australia's only silicon smelter nearby, and that plus timber and South West agriculture means yards see a steady flow of industrial steel, farm machinery and plant, so they are well equipped for large loads.
Rules for selling scrap in Western Australia
- Governing law
- No scrap-specific Act. The Pawnbrokers and Second-hand Dealers Act 1994 and Regulations 1996 apply, but the Regulations (as at 11 June 2025) exclude ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal from the definition of second-hand goods except gold, silver, copper and copper alloy (including bronze and brass). Only dealers in scrap copper, brass, bronze, gold or silver need a WA Police second-hand dealer licence.
- Photo ID
- For copper, copper alloy, gold or silver, the licensed dealer must verify the seller's identity to at least 100 points using the checks in regulation 13 (photo documents score higher). For steel, aluminium and other scrap outside the Act no statutory ID requirement was found, although yards may set their own.
- Cash payments
- No cash ban. The licensing change that took effect on 1 December 2020 did not stop cash payment (as reported by the building industry's PACT Site Security), although licensed dealers must record and report copper and copper alloy transactions.
- Scrapping a vehicle
- To cancel a vehicle licence, surrender the number plates at a DTMI service centre or regional agent (or lodge Form VL14 if the plates are lost or stolen) and apply for a pro rata refund of licence fees. Vehicles on the Written-Off Vehicles Register need the date of the accident on the refund application.
- Container deposit scheme
- Containers for Change, 10 cents per eligible container, since 1 October 2020. Expanded from 1 July 2026 to almost all drink containers between 150 mL and 3 litres.
- Also worth knowing
- PACT Site Security reported that the December 2020 change carries penalties of $2,000 to $5,000 and up to 12 months imprisonment for individuals, or fines up to $20,000 for companies, and that dealers must hold copper for 14 days without altering it. Those points come from an industry body, not from the regulation text.
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 Western Australia scrap markets
Yards across Western Australia pay rates relative to their distance from major smelters and ports. Perth is the state capital and typically has the most competitive rates in the state.
Popular items: what they're worth in Bunbury
Estimated scrap value at Bunbury yards. Assumes properly prepared material (oil drained, copper stripped from motors, refrigerant degassed where required).
Scrap yards in Bunbury
3 scrap yards listed in the Bunbury area with addresses, phone numbers, and ratings. Browse all 3 yards →
Frequently asked questions about scrap metal in Bunbury
Where are the best scrap metal yards in Bunbury? +
Our yard directory lists Bunbury 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 Bunbury pay less than Sydney for scrap metal? +
The 12% gap to Sydney reflects transport costs. Metal sold in Bunbury eventually travels to a smelter or export port — typically via Perth — 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 Bunbury? +
Copper, by a wide margin. Clean bare-bright copper currently pays around $14.11 per kilogram in Bunbury. 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 Bunbury scrap yards require photo ID? +
Yes for most non-ferrous metals and always for lead-acid batteries and catalytic converters. Western 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 WA cities have scrap yards? +
Yes — Albany, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Mandurah, and others all have active scrap yards covered on this site. Perth (the Western Australia capital) generally has the most yards and most competitive rates in the state.
When is the best time of week to bring a load to a Bunbury 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 Bunbury yards close early on weekends or operate reduced hours, so confirm opening times before transport.