Nearly every common metal can be recycled in Melbourne. Copper, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, steel and iron all qualify. So does the metal inside cars, electric motors and appliances. If you are asking what metals can be recycled in Melbourne, the short answer is almost all of them. The more useful question is how to sort them, because that is where the value sits.
Here is why sorting matters. In July 2026, bright copper was listed at up to $11.80 per kg, while HMS steel was $0.30 to $0.42. When you separate copper out, it is graded at its own rate. Leave it in a mixed pile and much of that value is lost.
Picture a small engineering business clearing out its workshop. Offcuts, old copper cable, brass fittings and a couple of dead compressors all go into one skip, because nobody knew what was worth separating. Twenty minutes with a magnet and a few crates would have changed the payout noticeably. This guide shows you how to do that sorting yourself. It also explains how to choose between a yard drop off and a pickup.
Which metals can be recycled in Melbourne?
Recyclable scrap falls into two groups: ferrous and non ferrous. Both are recyclable, but they are graded and priced differently. Working out which is which is your first job.
Ferrous and non ferrous metals in plain English (the magnet test)
Ferrous simply means the metal contains iron. Steel and cast iron are the main examples, and they stick firmly to a magnet. Non ferrous means the metal has little or no iron. Copper, brass, aluminium and most common stainless grades sit in this group, and a magnet either ignores them or barely holds.
The magnet test is the quickest sorting tool you have. A fridge magnet will do the job, but a stronger one from a hardware store gives a clearer result. If it grabs hard, the item goes in the ferrous pile. If it slides off, set the item aside for a closer look, because that is usually where the money is.
Quick reference table
Non ferrous metals worth sorting first
Non ferrous scrap pays far more per kilo than ferrous scrap. In July 2026, bright copper was listed at up to $11.80 per kg and HMS steel at $0.30 to $0.42. That gap is why these metals deserve your attention first. Pull them out before anything else goes in the bin or the ute.
Copper: bright or clean versus heavy
Copper is the highest paying of the common scrap metals, as our rates table further down shows. It is graded mainly by condition. Bright or clean copper is shiny and free of solder, paint, fittings and insulation. Heavy copper is solid but dirtier, and often still has tarnish, solder or attachments on it.
To a buyer, wire and pipe are not the same thing. Pipe that has been cut clean, with its brass fittings removed, is simple to grade. Insulated cable has a plastic jacket, so part of its weight is not copper at all. That is why we weigh and grade cable on its own. Keep cable and pipe in separate bags, and keep both well away from the ferrous pile.
Brass: taps, fittings and valves
Brass turns up wherever there is plumbing. Old taps, gate valves, compression fittings and meter tails are classic examples. Under the grime it looks yellow or gold, it feels heavy in the hand, and a magnet will not hold it.
A common mistake is leaving brass fittings screwed onto copper pipe or steel valve bodies. Take them off where you can. Think of a plumber clearing out the back of a van after a year of bathroom jobs. Even a single bucket of clean brass fittings is worth sorting and selling on its own.
Aluminium: windows, extrusions, gutters and frames
Aluminium is light, silvery and non magnetic. You will find it in old window and door frames, shopfront extrusions, gutters, ladders, cans and the frames around solar panels. It is always worth keeping apart from everything else.
What drags aluminium down is whatever is still attached to it. Glass, rubber seals, steel screws and plastic all add weight that is not aluminium. If you are clearing old windows, knock out the glass and pull the rubber before anything is weighed.
Stainless steel: sinks, benches and commercial kitchens
Stainless comes out of cafés, restaurants, food factories and laboratories. Sinks, benchtops, shelving, exhaust canopies and trolleys are common sources. It is bright, holds its finish and resists rust.
The magnet check needs a little care here. Most common grades, such as those used in sinks and food benches, are not magnetic or only weakly magnetic. Some grades respond more strongly, so a magnet alone will not always settle it. If a magnet barely holds and the item looks like stainless, put it with the stainless and we will confirm the grade at the scales. A café refit, for example, often produces a bench, a double sink and a canopy that together make a worthwhile stainless load.
Ferrous metals: steel and iron
Steel and iron make up the bulk of most business clearouts. They pay the least per kilo, but they are rarely the smallest part of the load.
What HMS steel is
HMS stands for heavy melting steel. It covers thicker structural pieces such as beams, columns, plate, heavy offcuts, racking uprights and machinery frames. Thin sheet, tin and light gauge items are usually graded separately, at a lower rate.
Why steel adds up on large loads
At $0.30 to $0.42 per kg in July 2026, a single offcut is barely worth thinking about. A tonne of it is a different story. Large ferrous loads also take you past the 500 kg mark for free mobile pickup. That saves you a trip, plus the cost of moving heavy items yourself.
Example: a factory fit out
Imagine a Melbourne warehouse being refitted for a new tenant. The old pallet racking comes down, along with shelving, a pile of fabrication offcuts and two old pedestal drills. A job like that can easily add up to several tonnes of ferrous scrap. Hidden among it are the drill motors, some copper earth cable and a few aluminium extrusions from an old office partition. Sorting those few non ferrous items out first adds real value to what is otherwise a low rate load.
Metals hiding inside everyday items
A lot of recyclable value sits inside things that do not look like scrap at first glance.
Electric motors, compressors and pumps
Electric motors have copper windings wrapped inside a steel or cast iron housing. Compressors and pumps are built the same way. That is why electric motor recycling is worth asking about, since a motor is graded on its own rather than thrown in with plain steel. Keep motors whole and together in one spot so we can assess them properly.
Cars and other vehicles
A car is a mix of steel, aluminium, copper wiring and more. Its condition changes the offer. A vehicle that runs or still has usable parts is valued differently from a stripped shell. If you are moving on an unwanted vehicle, our vehicle and scrap collection services include free towing.
Appliances and switchboards
Washing machines, dryers, ovens and hot water services are mostly steel, often with a motor or copper inside. Old switchboards can hold copper busbars, cable and brass terminals. Separate what you can, and leave anything you are unsure about for us to look at.
Why honest descriptions save time
Our crew once collected a car that was described on the phone as “basically running”. When they arrived, the engine was locked solid. The revised offer came in about 35% lower than the original quote, and nobody enjoys that conversation. A plain, honest description up front, backed by a few photos, gives us the best chance of quoting accurately and saves everyone a wasted trip.
A note on solar panels: the aluminium frames are recyclable as aluminium. Please call us before bringing complete panels so we can confirm what we can take.
What recyclable metal is worth: JMR rates for July 2026
These are our stated rates per kilogram as of July 2026. Treat them as a guide only.
Metal
Rate per kg (July 2026)
Bright or clean copper
Up to $11.80
Heavy copper
Up to $11.20
Mixed brass
Around $7.20
Aluminium
$1.80 to $2.80
Stainless steel
$3.20 to $4.10
HMS steel
$0.30 to $0.42
Scrap rates move daily with the market. Always confirm the rate by phone on the day you plan to sell. For the full list and the latest figures, see our current per kilo scrap rates.
How to prepare a load so it pays properly
A few hours of preparation can lift the value of a load. This is the process we recommend to the businesses we work with.
- Sort by type. Keep copper, brass and aluminium in separate containers, well away from the steel. Milk crates, drums or bulka bags all work.
- Use a magnet. Run it over anything silver. Strongly magnetic items go to the ferrous pile. If an item is non magnetic and light, it is likely aluminium. If it is non magnetic and heavy, with a bright finish, it is likely stainless.
- Photograph and estimate. Take clear photos of each pile and make a rough weight estimate. Bathroom scales for small bins are close enough for a first call. So is counting known items, such as racking frames.
- Keep out non metal waste. Timber, plastic, concrete, rubber and general rubbish all reduce the value of a load and slow down grading.
- Keep your paperwork. Invoices, job sheets or demolition contracts that show where the material came from make the sale smoother.
Industrial and business clearouts: pickup or drop off?
How you get scrap to us depends mainly on the size of the load. As a rule, loads of 500 kg or more can be collected for free, and anything smaller comes to the yard.
When pickup makes sense
Industrial scrap metal removal services suit businesses with volume that is awkward to move. Think factory clearouts, planned shutdowns, office and warehouse fit outs, and demolition offcuts. On these jobs, shifting heavy items yourself usually costs more in time and labour than it saves. For a small or medium business, a booked collection keeps your staff on paid work instead of loading trucks.
Free mobile pickup for 500 kg or more
We offer free mobile pickup across Melbourne and surrounding areas for loads of 500 kg or more. There are no call out fees and no fuel surcharges. Our crew arrives with lifting gear and suitable vehicles, so you do not need to hire a forklift or a truck. To book, call us or start from the Johny Metal Recycling homepage.
Smaller loads go to the yard
Loads under 500 kg need to be brought to our yard at 1/9 Breaside Drive, Breaside VIC 3195. A ute load of sorted copper and brass offcuts is a typical example.
Weighing and payment
Every load is weighed on the spot using calibrated scales, so you can see the figure your payment is based on. On collections, payment is made on the same day.
Vehicles
We offer free towing for vehicles, so you do not need to arrange transport for an unwanted car.
What we ask before we buy, and how you get paid
We ask where scrap comes from because it protects honest sellers and keeps stolen material out of the system.
Why we ask where material came from
When something does not add up, our staff ask extra questions. Occasionally we have declined material until the seller could explain where it came from. Real examples include freshly cut copper wiring, manhole covers and road signage. Items like these normally belong to councils, utilities or road authorities. We will not buy them without a clear explanation.
Our registration
We hold registration as a second hand dealer with Consumer Affairs Victoria, the state body that oversees second hand dealers. The registration is held by our own business, not borrowed from anyone else. If you want to understand the rules dealers work under, Consumer Affairs Victoria publishes guidance on second hand dealing on its website.
How payment works
For scrap cars, payment is by bank transfer or cheque only. We do not pay cash for scrap cars. This follows Victorian law that has been in effect since 30 May 2018.
No hidden fees
What we quote is what you receive. There are no surprise deductions after the weigh.
Conclusion and next step
Almost every common metal is recyclable in Melbourne. What lifts the payout is sorting copper, brass, aluminium and stainless away from the steel before anything is weighed. Confirm rates on the day, then either bring a smaller load to the yard or book a free pickup if you have 500 kg or more.
Ready to clear your site? Call Johny Metal Recycling today and talk us through your load. If it is 500 kg or more, we can book a free collection anywhere across Melbourne and surrounding areas. Tell us what you have, share a few photos if you can, and we will give you an honest figure based on the rates of the day.
Frequently asked questions
What metals can be recycled in Melbourne?
Copper, brass, aluminium, stainless steel, steel and iron are all recyclable, along with the metal inside cars, motors and appliances. Ferrous items are magnetic and mostly steel or iron. Non ferrous items include copper, brass, aluminium and most stainless. Check the rates table above for current values.
Which scrap metal is worth the most?
Copper pays the most of the common types, with bright or clean copper at up to $11.80 per kg in July 2026. Brass and stainless sit in the middle, and steel pays the least per kilo. Rates change daily, so confirm by phone on the day.
How do I tell stainless steel from regular steel?
Most common stainless grades are not magnetic or only weakly magnetic, while mild steel sticks firmly to a magnet. Aluminium is also not magnetic, but it is much lighter. If you are unsure, send us a photo or bring a sample to the yard.
Do I need to strip wire or clean metal before selling?
Sorting matters more than cleaning. Bright copper was listed at up to $11.80 per kg in July 2026, against $0.30 to $0.42 for HMS steel, so keeping metals apart lets each one be graded at its own rate. Condition still counts, though: bright or clean copper is up to $11.80 per kg, while heavy copper is up to $11.20. Our staff grade it on calibrated scales at the yard or during pickup.
Can I sell scrap metal without proof of where it came from?
Our staff may ask where material came from and can decline it if the seller cannot explain. Examples include freshly cut copper wiring, manhole covers and road signage. We hold our own second hand dealer registration with Consumer Affairs Victoria.
Is there a minimum load for free pickup?
Yes. Free mobile pickup applies to loads of 500 kg or more in Melbourne and surrounding areas, with no call out fees or fuel surcharges. Smaller loads are taken to the yard at 1/9 Breaside Drive, Breaside VIC 3195.
Can I be paid cash for a scrap car?
No. Payment for scrap cars is by bank transfer or cheque only, following Victorian law in effect since 30 May 2018. Free towing is available for vehicles.