Aluminium is light. That is the whole reason it is useful and the whole reason a trailer of it is worth less than people hope. A full ute tray of aluminium can weigh less than a wheelbarrow of brass.
That said, some aluminium is worth setting aside properly.
Alloy wheels are the good stuff
Alloy wheels are a cleaner, denser grade than general aluminium scrap and they are worth keeping separate from it. A set of four is a decent weight and it is one of the better aluminium items most people will ever have.
- Keep them separate from your other aluminium.
- Tyres off is better. We can usually deal with them on, but ring first.
- Steel wheels are not aluminium. A magnet tells you instantly.
- Chrome-look wheels are usually still alloy underneath.
The grades, roughly
- Clean extruded aluminium. Window frames, door frames, tubing. Good grade if the plastic, rubber and glass are off.
- Cast aluminium. Engine parts, gearbox cases, old pumps. Heavier per piece.
- Sheet and roofing. Cladding, flashing, sheet offcuts.
- Cans. Worth something but you need a very large number to make it meaningful.
- Aluminium with steel through it. Lowest grade. Any attached steel drops the whole piece.
What people get wrong
- Assuming it is aluminium because it is light and grey. Check with a magnet. If it sticks, it is steel.
- Mixing it with everything else. Aluminium in a mixed bin gets priced as part of the blend, which for a light metal is the worst outcome.
- Expecting cans to add up. In South Australia the container deposit scheme pays far more per can than scrap rates. Take drink cans to a depot, not to us.
Where it does add up
Aluminium is worth a trip when you have volume rather than a bag of it. Shopfit strip-outs, window replacement jobs, old irrigation pipe, a run of roofing, a workshop clear-out with cast parts in it.
If you are not sure whether what you have is enough to bother with, send a photo. It takes a minute and it saves you a wasted trip.