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Scrap Metal Yards & Recycling Centers in Milwaukee, WI

7 of the 30 junkyards we list in Milwaukee 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. Ace Auto Salvage

    2393 S 43rd St, Milwaukee, WI 53219-2310

    Monday-Friday 8am-5pm; Closed Saturday and Sunday

    Buys junk carsParts lookupBuys scrap metalFree towing
  2. Alter Metal Recycling - Milwaukee

    1640 W Bruce St, Milwaukee, WI 53204-1103

    Buys scrap metal
  3. Auto & Scrap Recyclers

    3800 W Mill Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53209-3052

    Buys scrap metal
  4. Cash For Junk Cars Milwaukee Scrap America

    3232 W Fond Du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53210

    Monday - Sunday: 7:00am - 8:00pm

    Buys junk carsBuys scrap metalFree towing
  5. Milwaukee Iron and Metal

    4485 N Green Bay Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53209-6533

    Mon-Fri 7am-3:45pm

    Buys scrap metal
  6. On-kaul Auto Salvage

    8520 W Kaul Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53225-2022

    Monday-Friday: 8am-5:00pm, Saturday: 9am-1pm, Sunday: Closed

    Buys junk carsBuys scrap metalFree towing
  7. Schuster Metals

    2206 N 30th St, Milwaukee, WI 53208-1535

    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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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.