Scrap Zinc Prices in Australia
Zinc is the third most-used non-ferrous metal globally after aluminium and copper, but it rarely appears in pure form in household scrap. Most zinc reaches Australian scrap yards either as galvanising on steel (where it's essentially uneconomic to separate), as die-cast components in hardware and toys, or as anode material from marine and corrosion-protection applications. Pure zinc commands an LME-traded price; mixed and contaminated zinc pays less.
30-day price trend
Zinc grades and Sydney payouts (per kg)
Estimated yard payouts in Sydney. Other cities adjust by ±5–20% depending on transport distance to smelters.
| Grade | Payout rate | Est. mid (AUD/kg) | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Zinc Clean zinc die-cast or sheet zinc. | 55% | $2.54 | $2.16 – $2.93 |
Where to sell zinc
Payouts vary by city based on transport distance to smelters and ports. Sydney sets the national benchmark; remote cities pay less.
How zinc is graded
Australian scrap yards typically have a single zinc grade for residential and trade scrap: clean zinc, covering pure zinc and zinc-dominant alloys. The grade is based on cleanliness and absence of significant non-zinc contaminants rather than fine alloy distinctions.
Clean zinc includes pure zinc anode rods (marine sacrificial anodes once removed from service), zinc sheet (used historically for some plumbing and roofing in Europe but rare in Australia), zinc die-cast hardware (door handles, lock bodies, carburettor housings, decorative trim, vintage toy cars), and galvanising offcuts (clean zinc dross from galvanising operations).
The payout rate is typically 50-55% of LME zinc spot price for clean material, reflecting both the metal value and the processing economics. Zinc is well understood by refiners and recyclable indefinitely with minimal loss.
Zinc-aluminium die-cast — the zamak alloy that covers most decorative hardware — is accepted at the clean zinc rate because the small aluminium percentage doesn’t materially change the processing.
Galvanising on steel is not separated for the zinc value. The coating is too thin and the recovery cost too high. Galvanised steel is paid as steel, with the zinc treated as an unrecovered minor input.
Contaminated zinc — zinc items with attached steel, plastic, or significant paint coverage — drops a grade. Decorative items with combined zinc-and-steel construction usually go in as “mixed metal” at lower rates unless the components can be cleanly separated.
A useful identification fact: zinc is heavier than aluminium (density 7.14 vs 2.7) but lighter than copper or brass. A piece of unknown metal that’s non-magnetic, dense enough to feel heavier than aluminium, but lighter than brass or copper of the same size, is most likely zinc or a zinc alloy.
Where zinc comes from in Australian homes
Zinc in household and trade scrap is concentrated in a few specific applications.
Door and window hardware — handles, locks, hinges, latches — is overwhelmingly zinc die-cast (zamak) in mid-range construction. High-end hardware uses brass or stainless; cheap hardware uses plated steel. The middle range, which represents the largest volume by far, is zamak.
Plumbing hardware, particularly the bodies of cheaper tap fittings, mixer cartridges, and shower fittings, sometimes uses zinc alloy rather than brass. The lifespan is shorter than brass (zinc corrodes faster in water contact than brass) so replacement intervals are shorter, producing steady scrap supply.
Automotive carburettors in older vehicles are zamak die-cast. While carburetted engines are increasingly rare in modern vehicles, the legacy vehicle scrap stream still produces consistent volumes of carburettor housings.
Marine sacrificial anodes on boats, jetties, and submerged metal structures are zinc (or magnesium or aluminium — confirm before assuming). Boat owners replace anodes periodically, and decommissioned anodes are pure zinc at meaningful weights — typical hull anodes are 1-5kg.
Vintage toys and collectibles — Matchbox-style die-cast cars, model figurines, and decorative cast hardware from the mid-20th century — are zinc alloy. These rarely reach scrap yards because of collector demand, but estate clearances of damaged or worthless items do produce some volume.
Decorative hardware on cabinetry, furniture, and ornamental architecture uses zinc die-cast extensively. Demolition of dated commercial fit-outs produces volumes.
Galvanising offcuts and scrap from galvanising plants and steel fabricators that handle galvanised stock — clean off-gas zinc dross and skimmings — produces commercial-quantity zinc. This is an industrial source rather than residential.
Frequently asked questions
Is galvanised steel worth scrapping for the zinc? +
No, not separately. The zinc coating on galvanised steel is too thin (typically 40-80 microns) to be worth recovering as zinc — the cost of separation exceeds the zinc value. Galvanised steel is graded and paid as steel, with the zinc treated as a minor contaminant that's burned off during processing.
What's the difference between zinc die-cast and zinc alloy? +
Most 'zinc' in household items is zamak — a zinc alloy with small additions of aluminium, magnesium, and copper, designed for die-casting. Carburettor housings, door handles, decorative hardware, toy cars, lock bodies, and many small precision parts are zinc-aluminium die-cast. Yards group these under 'zinc die-cast' or 'mixed zinc' grades, paying close to pure zinc rates because the alloying elements are small percentages.
Are sacrificial anode rods worth scrapping? +
Sometimes. Sacrificial zinc anodes from boat hulls, marine engines, and corrosion-protection systems are essentially pure zinc and command the standard zinc rate. Used anodes are partially consumed (the whole point of a sacrificial anode), so the remaining weight is what's paid. Magnesium anodes are not zinc and have different (lower) value. Aluminium anodes are aluminium.
Why don't I see many pure zinc items at home? +
Zinc is rarely used in pure form for consumer products because pure zinc is too brittle and corrodes in air. Almost all zinc applications in households are either coatings (galvanising), alloys (brass contains zinc), or die-cast (zamak). The exceptions are some plumbing components, specific industrial applications, and the anodes mentioned above.
Do batteries contain zinc worth scrapping? +
Some do, but not in usefully recoverable form for individual sellers. Alkaline household batteries contain zinc as part of their cathode material, but the quantity per battery is small and recovery requires specialised processing. Some dry-cell battery recycling programs run by councils accept household batteries; these go to specialty recyclers, not general scrap yards.
Is the zinc-coloured outer case on door handles really zinc? +
Usually yes — most decorative interior door hardware in the last 30 years is zamak (zinc-aluminium die-cast) with a coloured finish or plating. A magnet test rules out steel; weight in hand against known materials helps identify zinc versus aluminium (zinc is about 2.6x heavier than aluminium for the same volume).