June 13, 2026
By KMT Team
Recycling Guides
Learn the easy steps to separate and clean your scrap metals to command the highest rates from your local Melbourne yard.
Sorting your scrap metal before visiting the recycling yard is one of the easiest ways to increase your payout. In this guide, we break down the simple steps you can take to make sure you get non-ferrous rates instead of mixed metal rates.
1. Separate Ferrous from Non-Ferrous
Use a magnet. If the magnet sticks, it is a ferrous metal (like steel or iron), which has a lower value. If the magnet does not stick, it is non-ferrous (like copper, brass, or aluminium), which is worth much more.
2. Clean Your Metals
Remove plastics, rubber seals, screws, and insulation. For example, stripping insulation off copper wire upgrades it to Bright Shiny Copper, which commands a premium price.