19 August 2026 · 4 min read
Copper, Brass & Aluminium Scrap: A Quick Guide
Metal scrap is the category where price differences are most dramatic - and most confusing, if you can't tell your metals apart. Here's a quick way to think about it.
Copper is the most valuable common household metal
Copper wiring, pipes, and motor windings are consistently the highest-value metal scrap a household is likely to produce, because copper is both scarce and highly reusable once recovered. Pure, clean copper (stripped of insulation) is worth noticeably more than copper still bundled inside cabling.
Brass and aluminium sit in the middle
Brass - common in old taps, fittings, and hardware - is a copper alloy, so it holds meaningful value but less than pure copper. Aluminium, found in old cookware, window frames, and appliance casing, is lighter and less valuable by weight than either, but is collected in far larger volumes, which is why it still adds up.
How to tell them apart at a glance
Copper has a distinct reddish-orange colour and is notably heavy for its size. Brass is yellowish-gold, often mistaken for copper by newer sellers but lighter and harder. Aluminium is dull grey-silver and noticeably light - a large piece will still feel easy to lift. If you're ever unsure, don't worry about sorting it yourself; the agent identifies and separates everything during the pickup weigh-in.
Getting the best value
The single biggest thing you can do is keep metals unmixed with non-metal material where possible - remove obvious plastic housings or wood if it's no extra effort, though it isn't required. Beyond that, current rates for each metal type are always visible on the scrap rates page before you book.