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If you've ever shown up to a scrap yard with a truckload of mixed metal and walked away feeling like you left money on the table, you probably did. The way you prepare your load before you get there has a direct impact on what you get paid, and most people don't find that out until after the fact. At M&M Recycling, we'd rather you come in informed, which is why we put together this breakdown of whether you should separate your metals before selling and exactly how to do it. Stick around because a little preparation on your end can add up to a lot more cash in your pocket.
Most sellers assume the scrap yard will sort everything out on their end. Some yards do sort, but you pay for that service through a lower payout. When a buyer has to spend labor and time identifying what you brought in, that cost gets subtracted from your check.
Separation shifts you from being a passive drop-off to an active seller. Buyers move faster through sorted loads. They can weigh each metal category individually, apply the correct price per pound, and hand you a receipt that reflects the market value instead of a blended, discounted rate. The difference can be substantial, especially if your load contains copper, aluminum, or brass.
Scrap metal recycling rewards preparation. The sellers who consistently walk away with the most money are the ones who show up knowing what they have. Sorting your metals at home takes maybe twenty to thirty minutes, and the return on that time is almost always worth it.
This is the most fundamental sort you can make before loading your truck. Ferrous metals contain iron. Non-ferrous metals don't. The two categories price out completely differently, and mixing them together is one of the fastest ways to undercut your payout.
The easiest way to separate them is with a magnet. Ferrous metals like steel and cast iron stick to a magnet. Non-ferrous metals like copper, aluminum, brass, and stainless steel won't. A basic refrigerator magnet works fine for this test. Run it across your pile before you load anything.
The most common ferrous metals include steel, cast iron, and wrought iron. You'll find these materials in structural beams, car parts, cookware, and fencing. Common non-ferrous metals include copper, aluminum, brass, and stainless steel from appliances, pipes, fixtures, window frames, and wiring.
Non-ferrous metals prices are higher per pound across the board. Knowing which pile is which before you arrive at a scrap metal buyer in Locust Grove, GA lets you present your load clearly and negotiate from a position of knowledge.
When you hand over a mixed load, a scrap metal company has to either sort it themselves or price the entire load at the lowest metal value in the pile. Most yards default to a blended rate, which means your copper pulls the price down toward steel levels. That's money you earned by hauling it there, gone because of how it was presented.
The math on this is not subtle. Copper can be priced at several dollars per pound, depending on the market. Steel prices are worth a fraction of that. If your load is 60% copper and 40% steel but arrives mixed together, you could walk away with a blended rate. Separating the two before you arrive means the buyer weighs and prices them as distinct materials.
There's also a practical issue with moisture, dirt, and attachments. Copper wire wrapped in plastic insulation prices are lower than bare bright copper. A steel beam with a cast iron bracket still attached introduces a second material into the weigh-in. Clean and separate as much as possible at home to put the pricing control back in your hands.
You don't need specialized equipment to sort effectively. A strong magnet, a wire stripper, and a few separate bins or buckets cover most of what you'll deal with in a standard load.
Start with the magnet test on every piece. Pull out your ferrous metals first and set them in one pile. From there, sort your non-ferrous metals by type. Copper goes with copper. Aluminum goes with aluminum. Even rough sorting into two or three categories beats arriving with everything mixed together. Here's a simple workflow that works for most loads:
Scrap metal recycling becomes more profitable when you apply this process consistently. It takes a bit longer upfront, but the payout difference at the scale is worth the extra effort in most cases.
Some alloys look similar to untrained eyes, and certain coatings or finishes can obscure the base material. When you're unsure, don't guess and don't mix the unknown piece in with a sorted pile. Keep questionable pieces separate and bring them in labeled as unidentified.
A reputable scrap metal buyer can usually test some material when needed. Spark tests, acid tests, and handheld XRF analyzers are all standard tools at established yards. What matters is that you don't dilute a high-value pile with something that is priced lower.
When in doubt, keep it separate, ask questions when you arrive, and let the yard identify it properly. You'll get an accurate price, and you'll learn what to look for next time.
Showing up to a scrap yard prepared is the single most effective thing you can do to increase your payout. M&M Recycling pays competitive rates for sorted, clean loads. Our team can walk you through pricing before we weigh anything. We want every seller who works with our scrap metal company to leave knowing exactly what they got paid and why. Bring in your sorted load, or contact us before your trip if you have questions about a specific material.
