If you’ve ever brought in a load of scrap and gotten a different price than you expected, you’re not alone, and it’s not because someone’s trying to shortchange you. Scrap pricing is tied to real market forces, and understanding how those forces work helps you know what to expect before you ever pull up to the scale. Here’s how scrap metal prices are determined, in plain terms.
What Affects Scrap Metal Prices at Langley Recycling
A handful of factors drive what we can pay for any given load. The biggest one is the global commodity market — steel, copper, aluminum, and brass are all traded and priced based on supply and demand, and those prices shift constantly. Beyond the market price, what affects scrap metal prices on any given day also includes the grade and purity of the metal, how it’s sorted, and whether it’s clean or contaminated with other materials. A load of clean, well-sorted copper is worth more than the same weight mixed in with insulation, screws, or other metals. We grade everything on-site so you can see exactly where your material lands.
Copper Price Per Pound Factors You Should Know
Copper draws the most questions, and for good reason: it’s one of the more valuable metals we take in, and its price moves more than most. A few copper price per pound factors matter most:
- Grade. Bare bright copper (clean, uncoated wire) pays more than #1 or #2 copper, which may have some coating or mixed content.
- Purity. The less contamination, whether that’s insulation, paint, or solder, the higher the grade and the better the price.
- Global demand. Copper is used heavily in construction, electronics, and electric vehicles, so demand shifts with those industries.
- Supply. Mining output, recycling volume, and even shipping disruptions can tighten or loosen supply, which moves price.
We’ll grade your copper in front of you and explain which category it falls into and why.
Current Copper Prices (updated daily)
| Material | Under 100lbs | Over 100lbs |
|---|---|---|
| Bare Bright | $5.35/lb | $5.45/lb |
| #1 Copper | $5.25/lb | $5.35/lb |
| #2 Copper | $5.10/lb | $5.20/lb |
| Light Copper | $4.50/lb | $4.60/lb |
| Insulated #1 (85%) | $3.96/lb | $4.06/lb |
| Insulated #1 (65%) | $3.08/lb | $3.18/lb |
| Insulated #2 (55%) | $2.34/lb | $2.39/lb |
| Insulated #2 (45%) Cat 5 & 6 | $1.90/lb | $2.00/lb |
| Insulated #2 (30%) | $1.25/lb | $1.30/lb |
| Christmas Lights | $0.70/lb | $0.74/lb |
| Harness/Jelly Wire | Ask for price | |
| CATV Bare | $0.40/lb | $0.43/lb |
| CATV Black | $0.32/lb | $0.35/lb |
| CATV Bare/Blk w/ Iron | $0.14/lb | $0.16/lb |
| Small Steel BX | $0.86/lb | $0.90/lb |
| Small Aluminum BX | $2.62/lb | $2.70/lb |
Why Scrap Prices Change Daily
Scrap prices aren’t set once and left alone. They track commodity markets that move daily, sometimes within the same day. Why scrap prices change daily comes down to the same supply-and-demand pressures that move any traded commodity: manufacturing demand, export activity, mill and refinery buying patterns, and broader economic conditions all play a part. That’s why the price you got last month, or even last week, might not match today’s. We update our pricing regularly to reflect the current market, not what it was yesterday.
How We Keep Pricing Fair and Transparent
Pricing trust is a real issue in this industry, and we don’t dodge it. Here’s how we handle it: every load gets weighed and graded on-site, in front of you, on a certified scale. We’ll walk you through the grade, the current price per pound, and the total before you agree to anything. No surprise deductions, no vague explanations. If the price is lower than you hoped, we’ll tell you why, whether it’s market movement, grade, or contamination, instead of just handing you a number.
That’s been our approach since 1931, across four generations of the same family-run business. Turning scrap into value should be simple and honest, and that starts with pricing you can actually understand.
We also created a free and public price sheet (updated daily) where you can find how much we’re paying for scrap metal today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are scrap metal prices determined day to day?
Prices follow global commodity markets for metals like steel, copper, and aluminum, adjusted for the grade and purity of what you bring in. We update our pricing regularly, so the rate reflects the current market, not last week’s.
Why did my scrap price change from my last visit?
Commodity markets move, sometimes daily, based on supply, demand, and broader economic conditions. Grade and contamination can also affect the price even if the market hasn’t moved much.
What makes copper worth more or less?
Grade and purity matter most. Clean, uncoated bare bright copper pays more than copper with coating, insulation, or mixed content.
Will you explain the price before I agree to sell?
Yes. We weigh and grade every load in front of you and walk you through the price per pound before you agree to anything.
Get a Fair, Transparent Quote Today
Bring your scrap to 3557 Stadium Drive, Kansas City, MO 64129, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 12:45–5:00 PM, or Saturday from 8:00 AM–12:00 PM. Have a question about current pricing before you load up? Check our price sheet (updated daily), request a free quote, or call us at 816-924-8452. We’ll tell you everything you need to know.
