Scrap Metal Recycling in Adelaide: The Complete 2026 Guide to Prices, Grades and Getting Paid Properly

Most people in Adelaide who sell scrap metal leave money behind — not because they were underpaid, but because they arrived with a mixed load. A trailer of tangled wire, offcuts, old taps and steel gets graded down to the lowest common denominator. The same trailer, sorted into four piles in twenty minutes at home, can be worth considerably more.

This guide covers what your metal is actually worth in Adelaide right now, how yards grade it, how to prepare it so you get the top rate rather than the mixed rate, and what South Australia’s new scrap metal laws mean for you as a seller. It is written from the weighbridge at SA Copper Scraps in Green Fields, where we buy copper, brass, aluminium, lead, cable and general scrap metal six days a week.

Scrap metal prices in Adelaide right now

Below are the in-store price ranges we work to at our Green Fields yard. They are ranges, not fixed rates, because the final number depends on grade, cleanliness and contamination — which is exactly what the rest of this guide is about. Prices are reviewed continuously against the London Metal Exchange and the Australian dollar; the live price list is always the authority.

Ranges shown are indicative as at July 2026 and are confirmed after material is inspected, graded and weighed in store. Per-metal pages carry the current detail: copper · brass · aluminium · lead · steel · cable · batteries · radiators · electric motors · mag wheels · general metals.

Why the price changes from week to week

Scrap pricing is not arbitrary, and understanding the four inputs makes it much easier to judge whether an offer is fair:

• Global commodity markets. Copper, aluminium and lead are traded on the London Metal Exchange. When LME copper rises, Adelaide scrap copper follows within days.
• The Australian dollar. Metals are priced in US dollars. A weaker AUD lifts local scrap prices even when the underlying metal hasn’t moved.
• Shipping and processing costs. Freight rates, energy costs and container availability all sit between the yard and the smelter.
• Local supply. After a big demolition or a construction downturn, regional supply spikes and local rates soften independently of world markets.

We break this down in more depth in what actually sets the copper rate in Adelaide. The practical takeaway: if you are sitting on a large quantity and you are not in a hurry, it is worth a phone call before you load the trailer.

Ferrous or non-ferrous? The three-second magnet test

This is the single most useful thing a first-time seller can learn, and it needs nothing more than a fridge magnet.

*Most stainless steel is only weakly magnetic or non-magnetic, which trips people up. If a magnet grips weakly and the metal is bright and hard, set it aside and let the yard identify it rather than throwing it on the steel pile.

Everything valuable on a typical load is non-ferrous. Separating the two piles before you arrive is what stops your copper being weighed in at the steel rate.

What each metal is worth — and what pulls the price down

Copper

Copper is the highest-paying common metal in Adelaide and the reason most people visit a yard at all. It turns up as water pipe, electrical wiring, hot water cylinder linings, roofing, guttering and busbar. Yards grade it strictly, and the gap between grades is real money — see the scrap copper page for what we accept, and copper cable for wire specifically.

• Raises the price: stripping insulation fully · removing solder, brass fittings and steel brackets · keeping it dry and free of paint · separating bright shiny from tarnished before you arrive.
• Lowers the price: soldered joints · attached fittings · burnt or heavily oxidised surfaces · tar, paint or lagging still attached.

Brass

Brass is a copper-zinc alloy, noticeably heavier than aluminium and gold-toned under the tarnish. It comes from taps, valves, plumbing fittings, door hardware, gauges and marine fittings. It pays well but below copper. Full detail on the scrap brass page, and we wrote about the grades in brass scraps at SA Copper Scraps.

The most common downgrade is chrome-plated brass — a plated tap looks like steel but is brass underneath. Scratch an inconspicuous edge; if it is yellow beneath, it is brass. The second is steel inserts inside valve bodies, which have to be removed or the whole item is graded as dirty brass.

Aluminium

Light, non-magnetic and never rusts. Sources include window and door frames, ladders, boat and trailer parts, engine components, sheet and cans. Because it is light, aluminium rewards volume rather than weight — a full trailer may not be heavy, but clean extrusion is a solid earner. See scrap aluminium.

Keep extrusion separate from cast (engine blocks, gearbox housings) and from domestic sheet. They are three different rates, and mixing them means being paid at the lowest. Strip out rubber seals, plastic thermal breaks and steel screws from window frames — that one step alone can lift a load a full grade. Mag wheels are cast aluminium and are priced separately again.

Lead

Dense, dull grey, soft enough to mark with a fingernail. Found as roof flashing, wheel balance weights, old plumbing, sinkers, diving weights and cable sheathing. Handle it with gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Rates on the scrap lead page.

Insulated cable and copper wire

Cable is the grade people most often misjudge. When you sell insulated cable you are being paid for the copper inside, so the rate reflects the recovery percentage — thick house wiring and heavy-gauge industrial cable carry far more copper per kilo than thin data or speaker cable, and are priced accordingly. Details on the insulated cable page and in our guide to getting cash for scrap wire.

Should you strip it yourself? For heavy-gauge cable in decent quantity, yes — bare bright copper pays materially more. For thin, fiddly cable, the labour usually costs more than the uplift. Bring it in and we will tell you honestly which side of that line your load falls on. Never burn insulation off: it is illegal, it releases toxic fumes, and burnt copper is downgraded anyway.

Steel and general scrap

Steel pays the least per kilo but arrives in the largest quantities — sheeting, fencing, structural offcuts, appliance shells, old machinery. On a site clean-up or a shed clear-out, steel volume can still add up to a worthwhile cheque, and it clears the space. See scrap metals and the steel price page.

The high-value items most people throw away

These are the items that go in the skip on a typical clean-up and shouldn’t. Individually they look like junk; collectively they are often the best-paying part of a load.

How grading works — and why it decides your payout

Grading is the assessment of a metal by type, purity, cleanliness and preparation. It is not a haggling tactic; it reflects what the material costs the downstream smelter to process. Contamination has to be removed by someone, and if it isn’t you, the cost comes out of the rate.

Copper is the clearest illustration, and the same logic applies to every metal on the list:

How to prepare your scrap for the maximum payout

Work through these in order. On a normal domestic or trade load it takes twenty to forty minutes and it is the difference between the mixed rate and the graded rate.

1. Empty everything out. Tip out water, oil, fuel and concrete. Liquids and fill are dead weight that the yard has to deal with, and fuel is a genuine hazard.
2. Run the magnet. Two piles: sticks and doesn’t stick. Do this first — it makes every step after it faster.
3. Split the non-ferrous pile by metal. Copper, brass, aluminium, lead. Separate containers, tubs or bags. This is where the money is.
4. Split by grade within each metal. Bright copper apart from tarnished. Aluminium extrusion apart from cast apart from domestic sheet. Clean brass apart from plated or steel-inserted brass.
5. Remove attachments. Steel screws and brackets off aluminium frames. Rubber seals and plastic thermal breaks out. Steel inserts out of brass valves. Tyres and steel weights off mag wheels.
6. Decide on stripping cable. Heavy-gauge cable in quantity is worth stripping. Thin cable usually isn’t. Never burn insulation — it is illegal, it is toxic, and it downgrades the copper.
7. Weigh and photograph before you leave. A rough weight and a few phone photos give you a reference point and make a phone quote far more accurate.

What not to bring to an Adelaide scrap yard

Every legitimate yard in South Australia refuses these, and for good reason. Turning up with them wastes your trip at best.

• Gas bottles and cylinders — LPG, oxygen, acetylene, CO₂, fire extinguishers. Sealed pressure vessels can explode when cut or crushed. Return them to a supplier or an authorised collection point.
• Any sealed or pressurised vessel — receivers, accumulators, hydraulic rams and drums that haven’t been opened and drained.
• Fuel tanks with residue — vapour is the hazard, not the liquid. Tanks must be professionally purged.
• Undegassed refrigeration equipment — fridges, freezers and air conditioners must be degassed by a licensed technician before they can be processed. Refrigerant release is a serious offence.
• Asbestos-containing material — old sheeting, lagged pipework and some brake components. Requires licensed removal and disposal.
• Radioactive sources and ammunition — industrial gauges, old smoke detectors in bulk, live rounds and ordnance. Contact SAPOL.
• Chemical drums and contaminated containers — anything that held solvents, pesticides or unknown substances.
• Electronic waste with batteries installed — remove lithium batteries first; they are a serious fire risk in a crusher.

If you are not sure what something is, don’t cut it and don’t guess. Photograph it and call us — we would far rather answer the question than have you take a risk with it.

South Australia’s new scrap metal laws: what sellers need to know

This is the part of the picture almost no Adelaide guide covers, and it changes how you sell metal in this state.

Reported scrap metal thefts in South Australia rose by more than 39% over four years, driven largely by copper stripped from construction sites and vacant properties, at an estimated cost to builders of tens of millions of dollars a year. In response, State Parliament passed the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025 (SA) in November 2025. The Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation, with the registration system indicated for the 2026–27 financial year — so check the current status before you sell, and expect compliant yards to be operating to the new standard ahead of the formal date.

What the Act introduces

• Registration and probity checks for scrap metal dealers operating in South Australia.
• An end to cash. Dealers will not be able to pay — or advertise payment — in cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or cheques made out to cash. Payment moves to traceable electronic transfer.
• Mandatory seller identification on every transaction.
• Detailed transaction records, uploaded to a digital portal accessible to police.
• Police inspection powers, including the ability to issue closure orders against non-compliant operators.

What that means for you in practice

• Bring photo ID. A driver’s licence or passport. No ID, no transaction — at any yard doing the right thing.
• Have your bank details ready. Payment by electronic transfer becomes the norm rather than the exception.
• Expect your details to be recorded. Name, ID, materials, weight, price and payment method. This is a legal obligation on the dealer, not a formality.
• Be able to account for your metal. For large or unusual loads — particularly bulk copper or cable — be ready to say where it came from.
• Treat a “cash, no questions” offer as a red flag. Once the Act is in force, an operator offering that is operating outside the law, and selling to them can expose you to questions you do not want.

How to choose a scrap metal recycler in Adelaide

Rates advertised online are only half the story. What determines your actual payout is how the yard weighs, grades and pays. Use this checklist:

• Trade-certified scales. Weighing equipment used for trade must be verified. Ask to see the certification — a legitimate yard will show you without hesitation.
• Grading explained in front of you. You should be able to see how your load was categorised and ask why. If grading happens out of sight, that is a problem.
• Published price ranges. A yard willing to publish its rates is a yard willing to be held to them.
• Immediate payment. Payment on the spot, not “we’ll invoice you”. At SA Copper Scraps you are paid before you leave.
• Compliant with the new Act. Asks for ID, keeps records, pays traceably.
• A proper site. Sealed hardstand, safe vehicle access, bunding and clear separation of materials. A yard that manages its own environmental obligations is a yard that will handle your load properly.
• Real reviews and a real address. A physical site you can drive to, consistent trading hours, and a name attached to the business.

Selling your scrap metal: what actually happens

1. Sort at home using the steps above. This is the part that pays.
2. Call ahead for anything unusual — a large volume, a catalytic converter, a whole vehicle, or something you can’t identify. Contact us on 08 7225 9998.
3. Drive in to 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields. Ute, trailer, van or truck — the site is built for vehicle access.
4. Weigh in. Your load is weighed on certified equipment with the reading visible to you.
5. Grading and inspection. Materials are assessed by type and grade. Ask questions — it is your load and you should understand the assessment.
6. Get your quote. Confirmed rate per kilo, per metal, against the current market.
7. Show ID and get paid. Photo ID, then immediate payment. No invoicing, no waiting.

Have a look at the yard gallery to see the site before you come, or read our walkthrough on how to get top cash for scrap metals in Adelaide.

Scrapping a car, ute or truck

A whole vehicle is the largest single scrap item most people will ever sell, and it doesn’t need to be running, registered or roadworthy. We handle the lot through our vehicle buying services, including free removal across metropolitan Adelaide.

• Car removal — free pick-up, we come to you.
• Cash for cars — valuation and payment on collection.
• Scrap car buyers — end-of-life vehicles in any condition.
• Damaged and non-running cars — accident, flood or mechanical write-offs.
• Unregistered vehicles — no rego required.
• Junk car removal — clear the yard or driveway.
• Cash for scrap trucks — light commercial through to heavy rigid.

Before the truck arrives: clear personal belongings, remove the plates, and cancel the registration with Service SA. Keep the catalytic converter and battery in mind — they are valued as part of the vehicle, so make sure they are accounted for in the quote.

Where we buy across Adelaide

Our yard is at Green Fields in Adelaide’s north, and we buy from across the metropolitan area and the Adelaide Hills — trade and domestic alike. The full list is on the service areas page, and includes Port Adelaide, Glenelg, Morphett Vale, Tea Tree Gully, Seaford and Mount Barker, among more than forty suburbs.

For builders, electricians, plumbers, air conditioning contractors, auto workshops and demolition crews, we handle regular collections and larger volumes. Details on the services page.

What recycling metal actually saves

Metal is one of the few materials that can be recycled indefinitely without degrading. A copper pipe recycled today can be electrical wire next year with no loss of quality. The savings against producing the same metal from ore are substantial:

Recycling one tonne of steel is commonly estimated to conserve in the order of 1,100 kg of iron ore, 630 kg of coal and 55 kg of limestone. At the scale of a working scrap yard, that adds up quickly — and it keeps material out of landfill in a state with some of Australia’s most ambitious waste diversion targets. Every load that comes across our weighbridge is material that stays in circulation instead of being buried.

Five mistakes that cost Adelaide sellers money

• Arriving with a mixed load. The most expensive mistake there is. Unsorted metal gets graded to the lowest common denominator.
• Burning insulation off cable. Illegal, hazardous, and burnt copper is graded down. There is no version of this that works in your favour.
• Binning the small stuff. Batteries, converters, motors, compressors and radiators are routinely thrown out by people who then sell the steel shell they came in.
• Selling at the bottom of the market. If the load is large and you are not under time pressure, ring for a rate before you load.
• Chasing an unrealistic quote. A rate well above everyone else usually gets corrected at the weighbridge — after you have driven there. Compare published ranges, not phone promises.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most valuable scrap metal in Adelaide?

Copper, by a wide margin among common metals. Clean bright copper currently sits in the $15.00–$20.00 per kilo range in Adelaide, well ahead of brass at $9.00–$13.00 and aluminium at $3.00–$5.00. Catalytic converters can be worth more per unit than any of them, but they are valued individually rather than by weight.

Do I need ID to sell scrap metal in South Australia?

Yes. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2025 (SA), dealers are required to verify and record seller identification on every transaction. Bring a driver’s licence or passport. Compliant yards are already operating to this standard.

Can I still be paid in cash for scrap metal in Adelaide?

The Act prohibits dealers from paying — or advertising payment — in cash, gift cards, cryptocurrency or cheques payable to cash. Payment moves to traceable electronic transfer. At SA Copper Scraps you are still paid immediately, with no invoicing; it is simply paid in a traceable form.

How much scrap metal do I need before it’s worth bringing in?

There is no minimum. Small domestic loads are welcome. That said, non-ferrous metals are where the value is — a few kilos of copper is worth more than a full trailer of light steel, so it is worth checking what you have before deciding it isn’t worth the trip.

Should I strip the insulation off copper wire myself?

For heavy-gauge cable in reasonable quantity, yes — bare bright copper pays materially more than insulated. For thin cable, the labour usually outweighs the gain. Bring it in and we will tell you which applies. Never burn insulation off.

How do I tell copper from brass?

Colour is the quickest test: copper is reddish-orange, brass is yellow-gold. Under tarnish, scratch a hidden edge and look at the fresh metal beneath. Brass is also harder and rings when struck; copper is softer and duller in sound.

Is stainless steel magnetic?

Usually not, or only weakly. That catches people out because it is still a steel. If a magnet grips weakly and the metal is bright and hard, put it aside separately and let the yard identify it rather than assuming it is ordinary steel.

Do you take fridges and air conditioners?

Yes, once they have been degassed by a licensed technician. Refrigerant cannot legally be released to atmosphere. Undegassed units can’t be processed. See our air conditioner and compressor pages.

Can I sell a car without registration or roadworthy?

Yes. We buy unregistered and non-running vehicles in any condition, with free removal across metropolitan Adelaide. Remove the plates and cancel the registration with Service SA.

How are scrap metal prices set?

London Metal Exchange commodity prices, the AUD/USD exchange rate, processing and freight costs, and local supply and demand. Grade and cleanliness then determine where within the range your specific load lands. More detail in what sets copper scrap prices in South Australia.

What can’t I bring to the yard?

Gas bottles and cylinders, sealed or pressurised vessels, fuel tanks with residue, undegassed refrigeration equipment, asbestos-containing material, radioactive sources, ammunition, chemical drums and devices with lithium batteries still installed. If in doubt, photograph it and call first.

What are your opening hours?

Monday to Friday 7:30am–5:00pm, Saturday 7:30am–2:00pm, closed Sunday. We are at 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107.

Get a price for your scrap metal today

Sort it, load it, and bring it in. You will see your load weighed on certified scales, you will have the grading explained to you, and you will be paid before you leave — no invoicing, no waiting.