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Stainless Steel Scrap Prices in Melbourne
Stainless steel scrap prices in Melbourne mostly come down to one thing: the grade you bring in. Two stainless sinks can look identical on the back of a ute and be worth four times as much at the weighbridge. That’s not Johnny Metal Recycling playing games. Stainless isn’t one metal. It’s a family of alloys, and what you’re actually paid for is the nickel inside them. The shine is free. So before you load up, work out which grade you’ve got.
Five seconds with a fridge magnet usually does it, and on a decent load that’s the difference between a good day and a flat one. Call +61 434 523 420 for today’s stainless rate, or send a photo and a rough weight and we’ll get a quote back to you.
Stainless steel scrap price per kg in Melbourne
Here’s how the grades stack up. These are the ranges we’ve published for the Australian market. Treat them as a guide rather than a quote: stainless moves with the nickel market, and the number changes. If you’re checking the scrap stainless steel price in Melbourne, the grade and condition of your material will make a significant difference.
| Grade | Typical use | Indicative rate per kg |
| 316 / 316L | Marine fittings, food and pharma equipment, chemical plant | $3.00 – $4.50 |
| 304 / 304L | Sinks, benchtops, splashbacks, general fabrication | $1.50 – $2.50 |
| 430 and 200 series | Appliance panels, trims, budget kitchenware | $0.70 – $1.10 |
| Mixed/unsorted stainless | Anything tipped in together | $0.80 – $1.20 |
Look at the top and bottom of that table for a second. A sorted 316 load can pay more than four times what the same weight of 430 does, and sorting 316 out of a mixed bin can more than triple its rate.
That’s the whole game with stainless. Everything below is just detail on how to land in the top row instead of the bottom one.
For today’s actual figure on your load, ring us. We quote on the day, and what we quote is what you’re paid.
Why does the magnet decide your price?
If you’re checking the stainless steel scrap price in Melbourne, the magnet test can give you a quick indication of which grade you’re dealing with.
Most metals get sorted by eye. Stainless gets sorted by magnet, and it works backwards from what people expect.
If the magnet falls off, that’s good news. 304 and 316 are non-magnetic or only weakly magnetic. They’re the grades with real nickel in them, and they’re the ones that pay.
If the magnet grabs hard, you’re holding 430. Strong magnetic pull means little to no nickel. Still stainless, still recyclable, just down the bottom of the range.
One thing trips people up. Cold-worked 304, pressed sink bowls especially, can pull weakly at the worked edges even when the piece is 304 all the way through. Test a flat, undisturbed section rather than a rim or a corner, and you’ll get a true reading.
Our full breakdown is in the stainless steel recycling guide, including why chromium doesn’t move the price the way nickel does.
304 stainless scrap price
The one most people have. Around 8–10% nickel. It’s what your kitchen sink, benchtop and most general fabrication offcuts are made from, and it’s the bulk of what comes across our scales.
If you’re checking the 304 stainless scrap price in Melbourne, clean, sorted 304 sits comfortably in the middle of the stainless range. Keep it away from 430 and you’ll get paid for what it is.
316 stainless scrap price
The premium grade. Higher nickel again, usually 10–14%, plus molybdenum for corrosion resistance. Marine hardware, food processing gear, brewery and dairy fittings, chemical plant, coastal balustrade.
If you’re stripping a commercial kitchen or a boat fit-out, there’s a reasonable chance you’re standing on the best-paying stainless we buy. Worth separating carefully.
430 and the lower grades
Appliance panels, dishwasher fronts, decorative trim, cheap cookware. Magnetic, minimal nickel, priced accordingly. Still worth bringing in — particularly by the trailer load — just don’t let it sit in the same pile as your 316.
What moves the stainless steel scrap price?
If you’re checking the stainless steel scrap price in Melbourne, four things have the biggest impact.
Nickel, mostly. Stainless tracks the global nickel market. When nickel moves, every yard in moves with it, and anyone telling you they’re insulated from that is having a lend of you.
Grade mix in the load. A bin with 316 and 430 in it doesn’t get averaged out. It gets priced near the bottom, because that’s the only fair way to price metal nobody has separated.
Contamination. Rubber seals, plastic trim, brass fittings, motors still bolted into sinks, concrete on the end of a balustrade post. All of it is dead weight paid at the lowest rate, and some of it costs processing time that comes out of what you get.
Volume. Bigger loads cost less to handle per kilo, and that shows up in the number. It’s also what makes free pickup work: we collect at no charge on anything over 500kg.
Getting more for your stainless
If you’re looking to get more value from stainless steel scrap in Melbourne, you don’t have to sort. We take mixed loads and plenty of people bring them in exactly as they came off the job. But if you’ve got half an hour and a magnet, here’s where the money is.
You don’t have to sort. We take mixed loads and plenty of people bring them in exactly as they came off the job. But if you’ve got half an hour and a magnet, here’s where the money is.
Split magnetic from non-magnetic first. That one move separates your 430 from your 304 and 316, and it’s the single biggest lift available to you.
Pull the fittings. Brass tap bodies, plastic waste pipes, rubber gaskets and steel brackets all weigh something, and none of it pays stainless rates. Brass in particular is worth more sold separately, so check our brass page.
Keep 316 apart if you know you’ve got it. Marine and food-grade gear is worth the extra bin.
Don’t polish anything. Surface staining, tea marks and light rust on the surface don’t change the alloy underneath and don’t change what we pay. Leave it.
Bring it in together. One weigh-in beats five small ones. The rest is covered in how to prepare scrap metal before selling.
Stainless steel scrap we buy
Sheets and plates, including fabrication offcuts · pipes and tubing from plumbing and industrial installs · sinks, benchtops and splashbacks out of kitchen renovations · rods and bars from engineering work · white goods with stainless content · heavy structural stainless from industrial sites · mixed and contaminated stainless.
No minimum quantity if you’re dropping off. Free pickup applies on loads over 500kg.
How do we weigh and pay?
Every load is weighed on site on verified digital scales while you watch. No estimates, no figure worked out somewhere you can’t see it.
Grading happens in front of you too. If we’re calling something 430 rather than 304, we’ll show you why with the magnet.
Payment is same-day by bank transfer or cheque. We don’t pay cash — Victoria tightened the rules on cash in the scrap trade back in 2018, and we’ve worked to them since. No deductions after the fact, no hidden fees. The quote is the payment.
Stainless steel recycling across Melbourne
We’re based at Braeside and collect right across Melbourne: the south-east and bayside, the eastern and northern corridors, and out west. Collection usually runs one to two business days from the time you book.
Stainless is worth recycling every single time. Stainless steel recycling in Melbourne keeps valuable material in use instead of sending it to landfill. It can be melted and reformed indefinitely without losing its properties, and reprocessing it takes a fraction of the energy of making it from raw ore. The nickel in your old sink ends up back in something else.
Get today's stainless steel scrap price
Ring 0449 894 456, tell us what you’ve got and roughly how much, and you’ll have a number in a couple of minutes. If you’ve done the magnet test already, mention what stuck and what didn’t. It gets you a sharper quote and a clearer idea of the stainless steel scrap price in Melbourne for your load.
Or send photos and an estimated weight through the contact form, and we’ll come back with a price and a collection time.
Why Choose Us?
With over 6 years of experience, we are trusted scrap car buyers in Melbourne, offering competitive cash for old cars Melbourne residents rely on. Our team specialises in car removal and car recycling Melbourne, ensuring unwanted and scrap vehicles are removed safely and recycled responsibly to support a cleaner and more sustainable future.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the current stainless steel scrap price in Melbourne?
What is the 304 stainless scrap price per kg?
Typically $1.50–$2.50/kg depending on how clean and well sorted it is. 304 is the most common grade in domestic and general fabrication scrap — sinks, benchtops and offcuts.
How do I tell 304 from 316 from 430?
Use a magnet. Strong pull means 430 and the lower end of the range. Weak or no pull means 304 or 316. Telling 304 from 316 by eye is difficult, so tell us where it came from — marine, food processing and chemical gear is usually 316.
Why is 316 worth more than 304?
Nickel content, plus molybdenum. You’re paid for the alloy content, not the finish. More nickel means a higher rate.
Do I have to sort my stainless before selling it?
No. We take mixed loads. But mixed stainless is priced near the bottom of the range, so separating magnetic from non-magnetic will usually pay you back several times over for the time it takes.
Is there a minimum quantity?
No minimum if you’re dropping off at the yard. Free pickup applies to loads over 500kg.
Does rust or staining reduce the price?
Surface staining and tea marks don’t change the alloy underneath and don’t change what we pay. Heavy contamination — rubber, plastic, concrete, non-stainless fittings — does, because it’s weight that isn’t stainless.