Yes, ovens and stoves are acceptable for scrap metal, but they are not the most profitable items to break down. Scrapyards usually purchase them as "light iron" or "shred" at a low rate of about $ 0.08 to $ 0.12 per pound, meaning an average oven is only worth between $ 6 and $ 20 in raw metal.
As long as the oven is free of food waste, excessive grease or hazardous materials, it can be delivered directly to the yard. You don't need to dismantle the oven before bringing it in. Scrap yards have the equipment to separate parts safely, and removing individual components won't increase the value.
Kitchen Appliances
The kitchen is one of the best places to find recyclable appliances in a home. Some of the most common kitchen appliances that can be sold for their value in scrap metal include ovens, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, metal sinks, faucets, and much more!
Washing machines and dryers incorporate steel frames, copper wiring, and sometimes aluminum components. Refrigerators house copper tubing, aluminum shelving, and steel casings. Ovens and air conditioners similarly pack substantial metal content that recyclers eagerly seek.
How to Get Rid of Kitchen Appliances
Copper is the leading choice in scrap metal values today. In early 2026, current prices for premium grades have surged well past $4 per pound, making it highly lucrative for waste management operations.
Precious metals (like gold, silver, and platinum) are the highest-paying scrap materials. Among widely handled industrial base metals, copper is the most lucrative.
To make $100 from scrap aluminum, you need anywhere from 55 to 200 pounds, depending on your local scrap yard’s payout rate.
Yes, you can absolutely scrap a microwave for money. A whole, intact microwave usually nets between $2 and $6 as scrap steel, but stripping it down to its internal components can yield anywhere from $10 to $20+ depending on metal prices.
Find your nearest reuse and recycling point
Or for a small fee, you can arrange a bulky waste collection to take away large electricals. All local councils have one or more household waste recycling centres where you can drop off your old electricals for recycling.
Scrapping a standard kitchen stove is rarely worth the time or effort if you do it solely for the metal value. As-is scrap prices for a typical steel or cast iron stove generally yield only between $5 and $20. However, the payoff improves if you strip out specific high-value components.
Good news! Microwaves can be recycled with your electronics OR your scrap metal. Be sure to ask your recycling center operator to see if your center has a preference. If you choose to put your microwaves with your scrap metal, CAPACITORS MUST BE REMOVED.
Your trusted white goods scrap metal recycling yard in London. Connolley Metals proudly leads the way in recycling white goods in London. We specialise in giving new life to household appliances like washing machines, washer dryers, dishwashers, and ovens.
Top Electronics with the Most Gold Content
Desktop and Laptop Computers: Motherboards, CPUs, and RAM modules in older computers (especially pre-2000s) contain significant amounts of gold. A typical desktop computer can have up to 0.2 grams of gold, primarily in connectors and circuit boards.
How much is a refrigerator worth in scrap? A typical refrigerator weighs 150-250 lbs and contains mostly steel. At current scrap prices, expect $8-20 for the steel alone. However, the compressor contains copper worth $3-8 extra, and if you separate the copper tubing, you can add another $2-5.
Air conditioners and heat pumps contain the most copper of any household appliances. A standard residential unit contains between 4 kg and 23 kg (999 to 50 lbs) of copper, primarily located in the condenser, evaporator coils, and compressor motors.
Washing Machines & Dishwashers
What's inside: Steel, copper (motors and wires), stainless steel drums. Estimated value: £5–£15 per unit, depending on weight and parts. Top tip: Remove the motor and wiring to boost value, or weigh in whole for ease.
As a general rule, don't crush cans before tossing them in the bin because crushing can make it harder for recycling facilities to sort. If your local recycling facility uses a multi- or dual-stream collection (meaning you separate your recyclables by material), it's probably okay to crush your cans.
6 Best Items To Recycle For Money: Trash For Cash
Several common household and commercial items are not recyclable through standard collection programs, despite appearing to be made of recyclable materials. The most frequent offenders include greasy pizza boxes, disposable coffee cups, plastic-coated paper, bubble wrap, and small electronics.
The term "poor man's gold" refers to silver. This nickname originated because silver, like gold, has been used as a form of money and ornamentation throughout history.
Glass: up to 4,000 years
A frightening 4,000 years is how long it takes a glass bottle to decompose in the environment. Every time we leave a recipient of this kind in the countryside, we are putting the environment and its ecosystem at risk.
Platinum and palladium are both widely considered to be approximately 30 times rarer than gold in the Earth's crust. Because of their scarcity, they are highly sought after for both investment purposes and demanding industrial applications like catalytic converters and hydrogen fuel cells.