Knowing how to sort, clean, and prepare your materials can significantly impact your earnings if you’re serious about making more money from scrap metal. Whether you’re scrapping copper, brass, aluminum, electronics, or demolition materials, these tips can help you maximize your payout at the scrap yard.
Clean Your Scrap for Higher Prices
Copper & Brass: Get the Best Value
- Remove Brass Fittings from Copper Pipes—Plumbers and contractors often scrap copper tubing with brass fittings still attached. Cutting off brass fittings allows you to sell the copper as clean #1 tubing, which is worth more.
- Watch for New Brass Gaskets—Some modern plumbing uses brass gaskets with plastic rings inside. Before scrapping, pop out the plastic ring with a screwdriver to ensure you get a clean brass price at the yard.
- Bare Bright Copper Wire Pays the Most—If you’re scrapping bare bright copper wire, avoid using duct tape or zip ties to bundle it, as yards prefer it loose. The taped wire will fetch a lower price as it’s considered dirty. Rip the tape off and make sure it leaves no residue.
Brass Radiators: Clean vs. Dirty
- Radiators often have steel or plastic ends attached. Removing these with a hammer and chisel can earn you $0.10 more per pound for clean brass radiators.
Stainless Steel Sinks: Test for Steel Attachments
- Use a magnet to check for steel rims or rings on the sink. Removing these pieces before scrapping ensures you get paid for clean stainless steel, which has a higher value.
Electronics Scrapping: Small Parts, Big Money
Motherboards: Extract Valuable Components
Before scrapping a desktop computer motherboard, remove these high-value parts:
Scrapping these components separately can yield more money than selling an unprocessed motherboard.
PC Plugs & Power Cords: Snip the Ends
- Don’t just throw in the cords if you’re scrapping computer monitors, printers, or servers. Cut off the plug ends, as they often contain valuable metal connectors that can be sold separately.
Cell Phones: Remove Batteries First
- Many yards do not accept lithium batteries, so check their policies before scrapping old phones. If they require battery removal, do it in advance to avoid issues at the yard.
Construction & Demolition Scrapping: Hidden Metal Value
Brass Door Plates: A Hefty Bonus
- Check for brass kick plates or decorative metal trim when scrapping old doors from demolition projects. These can weigh up to 10 pounds each, adding significant weight to your brass pile.
- Before hauling it to the yard, use a magnet to confirm it’s brass (not steel).
Grab a handy magnet for scrapping from Rockaway Recycling - the home of the iScrap App.
- 3 Colors Available!
Aluminum/Copper Fin Steel from AC Units
- If you’re taking apart an air conditioner or refrigerator, you’ll find aluminum/copper fin steel inside. Removing the steel ends can earn you $0.20 more per pound, which adds up fast with large quantities.
Final Tips: Work Smarter, Not Harder
- Use the Right Tools—Invest in a cordless sawzall to cut brass fittings and remove steel from valuable metals.
- Check Your Yard’s Policies—Every scrap yard is different, so ask about pricing for clean vs. dirty metals before you arrive.
- Track Scrap Prices—Use the iScrap App to check local prices and find the best scrap yards near you.