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Scrap Metal Yards & Recycling Centers in Detroit, MI

6 of the 31 junkyards we list in Detroit have scrap metal buying.

A map pin can't tell you whether a yard takes a trunk full of aluminum cans and copper pipe or only buys whole vehicles — and the two are priced completely differently. Every yard tagged here states on its own site that it buys scrap from the public by weight. Posted prices move weekly with the commodity market and differ by state, so treat any number you read online as a starting point and confirm by phone the morning you haul.

  1. Detroit Iron and Metal

    8350 Dix St, Detroit, MI 48209-1022

    Buys scrap metal
  2. Kimmel Scrap Iron & Metal Co

    10571 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48204-2007

    Buys scrap metal
  3. McNichols Scrap Iron & Metal

    6500 McNichols Rd E, Detroit, MI 48212-2028

    Mon-Fri 8am-4pm

    Buys scrap metal
  4. Sikora Metals

    12850 Mt Elliott St, Detroit, MI 48212-2574

    Mon-Fri 7am-4pm

    Buys scrap metal
  5. Silver's Metal Recycling Co.

    1401 Woodland St, Detroit, MI 48211-1057

    Buys scrap metal
  6. Strong Steel Products

    6464 Strong St, Detroit, MI 48211-1862

    Buys scrap metal
Call for today's price before you load the truck. Scrap prices are set locally and change week to week — the same clean copper that pays $3.40 a pound in one metro can pay $2.80 an hour away. Separate your metals before arriving (clean copper, insulated wire, aluminum, brass and steel all price differently), and bring a photo ID: most states require the yard to record it for every transaction.

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Scrap Metal Yards & Recycling Centers near Detroit

Good to know

What are current scrap metal prices?

Yards set their own buy prices and move them weekly with the commodity market, so there is no national figure. As a rough order of magnitude in 2026: steel and light iron pay cents per pound, aluminum cans a few tens of cents per pound, and clean copper a few dollars per pound. Prices also vary by state and by how clean and sorted your material is — call the yard the day you plan to haul and ask for their current posted price.

Do scrap yards pay cash?

Many do, but not everywhere: several states restrict cash payouts for scrap metal transactions and require a check, prepaid card or bank transfer, often with a waiting period for catalytic converters and certain nonferrous metals. Every yard is required to record your photo ID either way. Ask about payment method when you call for prices.

What scrap metal is worth the most money?

Per pound, copper pays best — clean bright wire and copper tubing top the list, followed by brass and insulated wire. Catalytic converters are priced per unit rather than by weight and can be worth far more than the metal in them. Steel and light iron pay the least per pound but make up the bulk of most loads.

How many aluminum cans does it take to make $100?

It takes roughly 30-34 empty cans to make a pound. At a typical buy price of 40-60 cents a pound, $100 works out to somewhere between 5,000 and 8,000 cans — about a pickup bed packed full of crushed cans.