Saving aluminum cans is highly worth it for environmental sustainability, and can be profitable if you live in a state with a bottle deposit law. However, if you are relying on scrap metal value, the financial payoff is low compared to the time and storage required.
One pound of empty aluminum cans is generally worth between $0.55 and $0.85, depending on current national averages and local scrap yard policies.
To make $100, you need to recycle anywhere from 50 pounds to 2,000 pounds of aluminum cans, depending on how you recycle them.
Regional market conditions create substantial price variations that directly impact the economics of recycling programs. California leads the nation with combined CRV (California Redemption Value) and scrap pricing that can push returns well above $1.65 per pound, while states without deposit laws rely entirely on ...
To make $10, you will need between 100 and 1,000 cans, depending entirely on where you live and how your local recycling program pays out.
You should generally avoid crushing or flattening aluminum cans before recycling because it interferes with sorting machines at recycling facilities.
Depending on where you live and how you recycle them, 200 cans are worth between $3.00 and $20.00.
You do not have to crush your empty cans. Some people crush their recycled cans to create more room in their recycling bin, but this is optional. Your can is recyclable either way!
Scrap value largely depends on whether you have industrial base metals or precious metals. The highest-paying scrap falls into three main categories: Bare Bright Copper, Catalytic Converters, and Scrap Cars.
Many items that appear eco-friendly or made of basic materials cannot go in your curbside recycling bin. The biggest culprits include paper coffee cups, greasy pizza boxes, thermal receipts, and plastic utensils. These items either ruin processing machinery or contaminate entire batches of recyclables.
6 Best Items To Recycle For Money: Trash For Cash
The modern 12 fluid ounce aluminum can, it takes 31.8 cans to equal one pound.
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California pays the most for cans. Thanks to its combined California Redemption Value (CRV) and high regional scrap prices, recyclers can receive returns equivalent to roughly $1.67 per pound (or up to 10∉ per individual qualifying container).
In the scrap metal industry, "dirty aluminum" refers to aluminum that contains non-aluminum contaminants—such as steel screws, copper wires, plastic, rubber, heavy paint, or oil. Because these attachments require extra work to remove or can ruin a batch of melted metal, dirty aluminum fetches a lower price at scrapyards than pure, clean aluminum.
Scrap yards will typically pay more for clean and dry aluminum. Shop around for the best price. There are many scrap yards in business, so it pays to shop around to get the best price for your aluminum.
In the scrap metal industry, "dirty copper" refers to copper that is contaminated with other materials—such as solder, paint, brass fittings, or steel. Because it requires extra processing at a smelter, scrap yards classify this as Grade #2 Copper and pay less for it than pure, "clean" copper.
Precious metals (like gold, silver, and platinum) are the highest-paying scrap materials. Among widely handled industrial base metals, copper is the most lucrative.
The spot price of raw copper today is approximately $𝟔.𝟑𝟖 per pound on the commodity markets.
Whether you should crush your aluminum cans depends entirely on your local recycling program.
A 55-gallon drum packed tightly with crushed aluminum cans typically weighs between 75 and 125 lbs, depending on how heavily compacted the cans are.
You shouldn't crush your containers.
We recommend you don't crush containers, as most refund points can't accept them if containers have been crushed.
General Estimate
For standard 12-ounce cans that weigh 0.5 ounces, it takes approximately 32 cans to make 1 pound.
Copper is one of the most valuable materials in the scrap recycling industry. With prices reaching up to $3.77 per pound for bare bright copper, this versatile metal offers significantly higher returns than most other scrap materials.