Almost every cleanout and renovation turns up metal. Old copper pipe from a bathroom renovation, aluminum eavestroughs, a cast iron tub, a broken barbecue, a pile of steel shelving from the basement. Some of it is worth real money at a scrap yard. Some of it is not worth the gas to get it there.
Scrap metal recycling is one of the oldest and most effective recycling systems there is, and knowing a little about it helps you decide what to set aside and what to toss in the bin. This guide covers the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals, which metals are worth separating, how scrap yards work, and when it makes more sense to just bin it.
Ferrous vs non-ferrous: the magnet test
Scrap yards sort metal into two broad categories, and a fridge magnet is all you need to tell them apart.
Ferrous metals contain iron. A magnet sticks to them. This includes steel and cast iron, the most common metals in any household. Ferrous scrap is plentiful, so it pays less per kilogram, but it adds up because it is heavy.
Non-ferrous metals do not contain iron, so a magnet will not stick. This includes copper, brass, aluminum, and lead. Non-ferrous metals are worth considerably more per kilogram, so they are the ones most worth pulling aside.
Stainless steel is the exception to the rule. It does contain iron, but the grades used in most sinks and appliances are barely magnetic, if at all, so a magnet can fool you. Scrap yards buy stainless as its own category, usually at a better rate than plain steel, so keep it separate.
Keep a magnet in your pocket during a cleanout. It sorts metal faster than any guidebook.
Telling the non-ferrous metals apart
Once the magnet has done its job, colour and weight do most of the rest.
Copper is reddish brown when clean and turns dark brown or green with age. Brass is yellow, like a dull gold, and feels heavy for its size. Aluminum is silvery white, soft, and surprisingly light; you can often scratch it with a key. Lead is dull grey, very heavy, and soft enough to mark with a fingernail. Stainless steel is bright silver, hard, and much heavier than aluminum of the same size.
Old metal is often tarnished, so it can be hard to judge colour. Scratch a hidden spot with a file or a screwdriver to see the true colour underneath.
The metals worth separating
Copper is the prize. It shows up as plumbing pipe, electrical wire, and old water heater parts. Clean, bare copper with no solder, fittings, or insulation is worth the most. Insulated wire and copper with fittings attached are worth less, but still worth keeping.
Brass is common in plumbing: faucets, valves, fittings, and old fixtures. It has a yellowish colour and is heavy for its size.
Aluminum is everywhere: eavestroughs, siding, window frames, lawn furniture, ladders, and cans. It is light, so it takes a lot to add up, but it is easy to collect.
Stainless steel turns up in sinks, appliance parts, and kitchen equipment. Most stainless is only weakly magnetic or not magnetic at all.
Cast iron is found in old bathtubs, radiators, sinks, and wood stoves. It is ferrous and pays less per kilogram, but a single cast iron tub can weigh several hundred pounds.
Steel covers appliances, filing cabinets, bed frames, shelving, barbecues, bikes, and tools.
Where metal hides in a typical cleanout
Garages and sheds hold tools, bikes, lawn mowers, old barbecues, and metal shelving. Drain fuel and oil from engines before scrapping them.
Basements hold old furnace parts, ductwork, pipe, and the occasional cast iron laundry sink.
Kitchen renovations produce stainless sinks, steel appliances, and copper or brass plumbing. Our kitchen demolition guide covers how to remove them.
Bathroom renovations produce copper pipe, brass fittings, and sometimes a cast iron tub. Our bathroom demolition guide explains how to remove a cast iron tub safely.
Outside, look for aluminum eavestroughs and siding, steel railings, fencing, and old hot tub pumps and heaters, covered in our hot tub removal guide.
How scrap yards work
Scrap yards buy metal by weight and type. You either drive onto a scale, or the yard weighs your sorted metal by category. Each type has its own price, and prices change frequently with global commodity markets, so the yard can tell you the current rate on the day.
A few things to know:
- Sorted, clean metal pays more than a mixed load.
- Many scrap yards ask for government-issued identification when paying for metal, partly to discourage metal theft.
- Appliances are usually accepted, but fridges, freezers, and air conditioners need their refrigerant removed by a certified technician first, and some yards want proof of that.
- Some yards will not accept certain items, like closed tanks or cylinders, so ask first.
Call ahead to confirm what a yard accepts and how they want it sorted.
Prepping your scrap
A little preparation earns better prices:
- Sort by type: copper, brass, aluminum, stainless, and steel in separate containers.
- Remove obvious non-metal attachments, like plastic handles, wood, and rubber, where it is easy.
- Drain fluids from engines, and remove batteries from tools and equipment.
- Keep wire separate from pipe.
Stripping insulation from wire can raise its value, but for small household amounts it is rarely worth the time.
Items that are not plain scrap
A few metal items look like scrap but follow other routes.
Electronics, like computers, televisions, printers, and small appliances with circuit boards, belong in Ontario's electronics recycling system rather than the scrap pile. Our guide to e-waste disposal in Ontario explains where they go.
Car and lawn tractor batteries are lead-acid batteries. Many retailers that sell them take old ones back, and many scrap yards buy them, but they should never go in a bin. Smaller household batteries go to battery drop-offs.
Anything that held fuel, refrigerant, or gas under pressure needs to be emptied properly or handled by a specialist first: propane cylinders, fridges and freezers, air conditioners, and closed tanks. Our guide to propane tank disposal covers cylinders, and our appliance disposal guide covers fridges and other appliances.
Is the trip worth it?
Whether a scrap run pays off depends mostly on what is in the pile.
Small amounts of copper, brass, and clean aluminum add up quickly, and they are easy to store in a bucket or a bin in the garage until you have enough to justify a trip. Large amounts of light steel, like shelving, bed frames, and old barbecues, often do not, because steel pays so little per kilogram. Heavy items like cast iron tubs and radiators fall in between: they can be worth it, but only if you can lift and haul them safely.
Factor in your time, the fuel, and how far the nearest yard is. If you would be driving across the region to sell a trunk of mixed steel, the bin is probably the better answer.
On job sites, protect the copper
Contractors know this one well. Copper pipe, brass fittings, and coils of wire left in an open bin or a pile in the driveway can disappear overnight. On a renovation, keep the valuable metal in a locked trailer, a garage, or a container that is not left on the street, and haul it to the yard regularly rather than letting it build up.
Safety
Scrap metal is full of sharp edges, so wear heavy gloves and eye protection. Lift heavy items like cast iron with help and proper technique. Never cut into closed tanks, cylinders, or anything that might hold gas or pressure, and never cut into appliances that still contain refrigerant. Be cautious with lead, like old pipe and flashing, and wash your hands after handling it.
Scrap pickup services
If you have a lot of metal but no truck, scrap pickup services and independent collectors will often take appliances and metal for free, since they earn money from the scrap. A free listing offering scrap metal for pickup often gets a fast response. It is a good option for large, heavy items like appliances, water heaters, and cast iron tubs.
When to just bin it
Not every scrap of metal is worth a trip. A handful of mixed metal, a broken chair with a steel frame, or a few old tools may cost more in gas and time than they are worth. Metal that is firmly attached to other materials, like a metal-framed couch, is usually not worth separating either.
Metal is accepted in our bins, and it does not go to waste. Metal is one of the materials most commonly pulled out and recovered from mixed loads at sorting facilities. Our guide to where the junk goes explains how that works.
So set aside the copper, the brass, the aluminum, and the heavy pieces worth scrapping, and let the bin take the rest.
Large metal jobs
Renovations and construction projects can produce a lot of metal: steel studs, ductwork, old radiators, and pipe. On bigger jobs, set up a dedicated metal pile from the start, so the crew separates it as they go. It reduces the weight in your mixed bins and can offset some disposal costs. Our guide to construction waste disposal covers setting up waste streams on a jobsite.
What happens to recycled metal
Scrap metal is sorted, shredded, and melted down to make new metal. Steel and aluminum can be recycled over and over without losing their quality. Recycling aluminum uses only a small fraction of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw ore, often cited at around 95 percent less. It is recycling at its most efficient, and it has been happening for as long as people have worked metal.
Where we help
We deliver bins across southern and eastern Ontario, including Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Welland, and Thorold. Pull aside the metal worth scrapping, and our residential rentals or construction bin rentals will handle the rest.
