Most people don’t realise how much money is sitting in their garage, shed, or skip bin. Old pipes, busted appliances, leftover building materials — a lot of it is recyclable metal, and scrap yards will pay you for it on the spot. If you’re in Melbourne, it’s worth knowing what’s actually worth bringing in before you just chuck it.
Johnny Metal Recycling (JMR) in Braeside is one of the more straightforward operations in the city. They’re licensed, they pay same day, and they take a pretty broad range of metals — from a single car battery to a full truckload of structural steel.
Here’s a rundown of what you can bring in and what it’s worth.
Copper
Copper is king when it comes to scrap value. Right now, JMR is paying up to $11.80 per kg for bright, clean copper and around $11.20 for heavy copper. Prices have actually climbed about 18% so far in 2026, so if you’ve been sitting on a pile of old wiring or plumbing, now’s a decent time to cash it in.
Where do people find copper? Usually in electrical cables and wiring (strip the insulation and you’ll get the top rate), old plumbing pipes and fittings, evaporator coils out of air conditioners and fridges, electric motors, and copper roofing or guttering from older homes.
Brass
Brass sits at around $7.20 per kg. It shows up more often than people think — taps, valves, door handles, plumbing fittings, radiator parts, electrical connectors. If you’re renovating a bathroom or doing a kitchen rip-out, hang onto anything that looks yellowish-gold rather than copper-orange. It adds up.
Aluminium
You won’t get rich off aluminium alone, but at $1.80 to $2.80 per kg, it’s still worth separating out. Window frames, sliding doors, car wheels, roofing, guttering, old ladders, BBQ frames, boat hardware — aluminium turns up everywhere. If you’re clearing a property or finishing a building job, it’s easy money you’d otherwise be paying to dump.
Lead
Lead is dense, so even a modest amount weighs more than you’d expect. You’ll find it as old pipework in pre-1970s Melbourne homes, roofing flashings, fishing sinkers, diving weights, and old batteries. It needs to go through a licensed recycler rather than general waste because it’s classified as hazardous. JMR handles it properly.
Stainless Steel
Commercial kitchen benches, industrial tanks, exhaust systems, medical equipment — stainless steel pays $3.20 to $4.10 per kg depending on grade. It’s a bit of a niche one, but if you’re clearing out a restaurant fit-out or an industrial site, the stainless alone can be worth a tidy sum.
Ferrous Metals (Steel and Cast Iron)
Structural steel, pipes, plate, old machinery, vehicle bodies — ferrous metals pay less per kilo (around $0.30 to $0.42 per kg for heavy melting steel), but they’re usually available in volume. A tonne of steel doesn’t sound like much until you do the numbers on a full trailer load. Cast iron — engine blocks, old radiators, cookware — is also accepted and tends to be heavier than people expect.
Other Stuff Worth Mentioning
Electric motors are worth separating out from general scrap because of the copper windings inside them. Electrical cables are similar — strip them, and you’ll get a better rate, but JMR takes them unstripped too. Car batteries and industrial batteries are accepted and shouldn’t be thrown in general waste anyway. Radiators — whether from vehicles or industrial equipment — usually contain a mix of aluminium, copper, and brass, so they’re worth bringing in whole rather than breaking apart.
And if you’ve got an old car to get rid of, JMR pays up to $14,999 for damaged or end-of-life vehicles with free towing anywhere in Melbourne. Payment is by bank transfer or cheque — cash for vehicle purchases has been banned in Victoria since 2018.
A Few Things to Know Before You Go
Sort your metals before you arrive if you can. Mixed loads get assessed at a lower grade, which means less money for you. Strip your copper wire, pull motors and batteries out separately, and knock off any plastic or rubber attachments. If you’ve got more than 500 kg, JMR offers free pickup, which saves you the hassle of hiring a trailer.
If you’re not sure whether something is acceptable — particularly if there’s any chance of asbestos contamination or chemical residue — call ahead rather than making a wasted trip.
Getting in Touch
Ready to turn your recyclable metal into cash? Visit Johnny Metal Recycling at 1/9 Breaside Drive, Braeside VIC 3195, call 0449 894 456, or email johnnymetalrecycling@gmail.com. Whether you have copper, aluminium, brass, steel, or mixed recyclable metal, our team offers honest pricing, accurate weighing, and same-day payment. Contact us today for the latest rates or bring your load in and let us make recycling simple and worthwhile.
