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Scrap Metal Recycling Near You
Metal is one of the few recyclable materials that pays you back, and it can be recycled endlessly without losing quality. Actual recycling rates vary a lot by metal, though: steel runs an estimated 70-80%, while aluminum cans lag at about 43% (2023).
14 materials covered14 recyclable
Metal Recycling Centers Near You
Scrap yards pay by the pound, and rates move week to week, so it is worth calling ahead before you load up. Pick your state to see which yards buy metal near you, what grades they take, and their current posted hours.
Scrap Yards and Metal Recyclers by State
- Texas
- Florida
- Ohio
- North Carolina
- Michigan
- South Carolina
- California
- Louisiana
- Alabama
- Washington
- Minnesota
- Oklahoma
- Connecticut
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Arizona
- New York
- Virginia
- Nevada
- Georgia
- Utah
- Idaho
- New Mexico
- Oregon
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Montana
- Wyoming
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Missouri
- West Virginia
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Iowa
- Mississippi
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
Do not see your state? Browse every state in the directory.
Aluminum Cans
Beverage cans made of aluminum. Infinitely recyclable and among the most valuable curbside materials by weight, though the actual US aluminum can recycling rate is only about 43% (2023, Can Manufacturers Institute) - well short of the industry's own 70%-by-2030 target.
Learn how to recycle Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans
Food cans made of steel with a thin tin coating. Magnetic and highly recyclable through nearly every curbside program.
Learn how to recycle Steel Cans
#1 Copper Solid
Clean, uncoated copper wire, pipe, and tubing. The cleanest everyday copper scrap.
Learn how to recycle #1 Copper Solid
#2 Copper Wire
Insulated copper wire, including household Romex, THHN, extension cords, car harness wire, and low-voltage data cable. Yards price insulated wire by its estimated copper recovery percentage rather than one flat rate, so the same pound can pay from about $0.36 to $4+ depending on gauge and insulation ratio. Strip only when the extra copper pays for your time.
Learn how to recycle #2 Copper Wire
Aluminum Siding
Aluminum siding, gutters, and downspouts removed from buildings during renovation or demolition. Clean, sorted aluminum siding is one of the better-paying common scrap categories.
Learn how to recycle Aluminum Siding
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel appliances, sinks, cookware, and fixtures. A magnet is the grade-sorting tool here, not a universal test - 304 and 316 (the common consumer grades) are non-magnetic, while 430 and other 400-series stainless are magnetic.
Learn how to recycle Stainless Steel
Cast Iron
Cast iron cookware, pipe, radiators, and machinery parts. Heavy ferrous scrap, priced and processed alongside other steel.
Learn how to recycle Cast Iron
Lead
Lead pipe, sheet, fishing and dive weights, wheel weights, and lead-acid batteries. Recyclable, but priced very differently depending on form - clean lead pays several times more than wheel weights or battery lead.
Learn how to recycle Lead
Titanium
Titanium scrap from sheet, bar, pipe, machined parts, and production offcuts. Recycling value depends on identification, alloy, solid versus turning form, contamination, and the accepting buyer.
Learn how to recycle Titanium
Zinc
Zinc scrap, including galvanized sheet, die-cast ('pot metal') parts, and sacrificial anodes. Often bought as part of a mixed diecast or non-ferrous category rather than priced as its own grade.
Learn how to recycle Zinc
Mixed Metals
Mixed metal scrap, including alloys, hardware, and composite materials that combine ferrous and non-ferrous pieces.
Learn how to recycle Mixed Metals
Brass
Copper-zinc alloy found in plumbing fittings, faucets, valves, doorknobs, hardware, decorative objects, instruments, shell casings, and brass radiators. Yards pay by grade: clean yellow brass, red brass, bronze, shells, and radiators each post their own price, and dirty brass pays a fraction of clean.
Learn how to recycle Brass
Electric Motors
Motors removed from appliances, tools, pumps, HVAC equipment, cars, machinery, and industrial systems. Scrap yards buy them as their own grade, priced by weight, because the steel body holds copper windings. Sealed compressors, alternators and starters, and transformers each carry a different price.
Learn how to recycle Electric Motors
Lawn Mowers
Push, self-propelled, riding, and battery-powered mowers. Their steel decks, aluminum engine parts, and batteries all have recovery routes.
Learn how to recycle Lawn Mowers
Guides, tools, and research
Continue from individual material instructions to the broader guide, calculator, or research page for this topic.
Professional scrap metal guide
Grading, sorting, preparation, and selling larger loads.
Scrap metal for beginners
Identification, safety, starter tools, and a first yard visit.
Current scrap prices
Compare sampled U.S. yard prices by metal and grade.
Market report archive
Historical copper, aluminum, brass, and steel market analysis.
Complete Metal Recycling Guide
Why Metal Recycling is Profitable
Metals are infinitely recyclable without losing quality. The scrap metal industry generates over $90 billion annually in the US. Unlike other materials, metals retain significant value and you can often get paid for recycling them.
- • Aluminum: $0.30-0.60/lb - recycled infinitely
- • Copper: $2.50-4.00/lb - highest non-precious metal value
- • Brass: $1.50-2.50/lb - common in plumbing fixtures
- • Steel: $0.05-0.15/lb - most recycled material worldwide
Environmental Impact
Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to make new aluminum. Steel recycling saves 74% energy and reduces mining waste.
What it avoids:
- • Aluminum can recycled → back on shelf in 60 days
- • Prevents toxic mining pollution and habitat destruction
- • Reduces CO2 emissions by 200+ million tons annually
- • Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours
Metal Recycling FAQ
How do I know if something is aluminum or steel?
Use a magnet. Steel sticks to it and aluminum does not. That test matters at the scale, because aluminum pays several times more per pound than steel, and a yard pays the steel price for any mixed load.
Should I separate different types of metal?
Yes. Scrap yards pay the top price for each sorted metal and the lowest price for a mixed load. Keep copper, brass, aluminum, and steel in separate containers, and strip off plastic, rubber, and other attachments to get the clean-grade rate.
Can I recycle painted or rusty metal?
Yes. The furnace burns off paint and the mill accounts for oxidation, so painted and rusty metal recycles fine. Heavily painted or coated non-ferrous metal grades lower than clean metal, and rust only lowers the weight you get paid for.
What's the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals?
Ferrous metals contain iron, such as steel and cast iron. They are magnetic and pay the least per pound. Non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum, copper, and brass, contain no iron, are not magnetic, and pay far more. Stainless steel contains iron but is mostly non-magnetic, and yards grade it on its own.
Do I need to remove labels from metal cans?
No. Paper labels separate and burn off during processing. Rinse out food residue and put the can in the cart. Steel and aluminum cans are among the easiest items to recycle.
Can I make money recycling scrap metal?
Yes. Copper and brass pay the most per pound, aluminum pays less, and steel pays the least. Wiring, plumbing fixtures, appliances, and car parts are the common household sources. Check the RecycleFind scrap price guide for current per-pound prices before you load up.