Scrap metal prices explained: why the yard pays less than the number you saw online

Market price, yard price, and the spread in between: what moves copper, aluminum and shred steel week to week.

The number on a commodity site is the market price for refined metal delivered to a mill or exchange warehouse. A yard pays you something less, because it has to sort, bale, ship and finance the material before it sells.

Mixed or dirty material may receive a lower yard price than clean, sorted material. Ask the yard how it grades the material before relying on a number.

Shred steel is commonly quoted per tonne. Copper and aluminum references can change with exchange markets, while catalytic converter quotes may depend on identifying information rather than weight alone.

When the dated price feed is live, this guide will label market references and yard figures separately, with a source, unit and as-of date.