Copper
$20.06
AUD / kg
View Copper prices →Updated · Sources
Today's Scrap Metal Prices, Australia
LME-anchored estimates across 45 Australian cities. Every figure is derived from international markets — not invented, not scraped from yards. Read our methodology.
Find prices in your city
We track prices across all major Australian cities and regional centres. Select your city for local payout estimates and nearby yards.
Queensland
Brisbane , Bundaberg , Cairns , Gladstone , Gold Coast , Hervey Bay , Mackay , Rockhampton , Sunshine Coast , Toowoomba , Townsville
New South Wales
Albury , Central Coast , Coffs Harbour , Dubbo , Newcastle , Port Macquarie , Sydney , Tamworth , Wagga Wagga , Wollongong
Victoria
Ballarat , Bendigo , Geelong , Melbourne , Mildura , Shepparton , Warrnambool
Tasmania
Burnie , Devonport , Hobart , Launceston
South Australia
Northern Territory
Australian Capital Territory
What is it worth?
Common household items broken down by metal content, with estimated scrap value at today's prices.
Have a specific load to value?
Use the scrap metal calculator to estimate the value of any metal load by weight, grade, and city. Updated daily.
Open the calculator →How we calculate these prices
Our prices aren't guesses or yard scrapes. Every figure is derived from the London Metal Exchange closing price, adjusted for Australian yard payout rates and the transport cost premium between your city and the nearest smelter.
Read the full methodology →"For any city, metal, and grade, the estimated payout per kilogram is: spot × payout_rate × regional_adjustment
We publish a ±15% low/mid/high range around this central estimate.
Where today's prices come from
| Figure | Value | Source | Type | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper spot price | A$20.06/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Aluminium spot price | A$4.36/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Brass spot price | A$15.23/kg | Calculated: 67% copper + 33% zinc (MetalpriceAPI) | Our calculation from feed prices | |
| Steel spot price | A$0.42/kg | Fixed site estimate of A$0.42/kg | Fixed estimate, not a market feed | |
| Stainless Steel spot price | A$2.35/kg | Calculated: 8% nickel (MetalpriceAPI) + a fixed A$0.50/kg chromium allowance | Our calculation, partly a fixed estimate | |
| Lead spot price | A$2.72/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Zinc spot price | A$5.42/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed | |
| Nickel spot price | A$23.10/kg | MetalpriceAPI (LME-linked market data) | Market data feed |
Spot prices are converted to Australian dollars per kilogram. Yard payouts are our estimates (spot × grade payout rate × regional factor), not quotes from any yard. Set when the site launched on 2026-05-16 and not updated since. No live steel scrap price feed is used. The chromium allowance is a fixed figure set on 2026-05-16, not a market price. Full detail: methodology.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate are these prices? +
Our estimates are calculated from international metal markets (LME), adjusted for typical Australian yard payout rates and regional differences. Real yard offers will vary based on the quality of your metal, the size of your load, and the day's local demand. We publish a low/mid/high range that captures most variation, but always call the yard before transport.
Where do you get your data? +
Our spot prices come from MetalpriceAPI (primary) with Metals.Dev and Yahoo Finance as fallbacks. We fetch new data daily and store every snapshot, so the historical charts are based on actual market closes. Our payout rates and regional adjustments were set from published yard rate cards on 16 May 2026 and have not been revised since. Steel has no market feed: its base price is a fixed estimate.
Why do prices vary between cities? +
Mostly transport cost. Metal sold in Darwin or Alice Springs has to travel further to a smelter or export port than metal sold in Sydney or Melbourne, and the yard prices that in. Our regional adjustments reflect this — Sydney is the national benchmark; Alice Springs pays about 28% less.
How often are prices updated? +
Once a day. Our fetch runs automatically each day and the site is rebuilt straight after it. The date you see at the top of each page, and in each "Where these numbers come from" table, is when that data was fetched.
Do you sell scrap metal directly? +
No. We're a reference site. We don't buy or sell metal, and we don't take a commission on any transaction. Yard listings in our directory are compiled from public data and community submissions — no yard pays for inclusion or placement.