In This Article
- Metals Hiding in Common Junk Items
- Current Scrap Prices in Oregon
- The Highest-Value Items
- When Scrapping Isn't Worth Your Time
- How Junk Removal Crews Handle Metals
Metals Hiding in Common Junk Items
Most people have no idea how much metal is sitting in the stuff they want to throw away. That broken washing machine in your basement? About 120 pounds of steel and 5-8 pounds of copper wiring. The old water heater in the garage? 80-100 pounds of steel plus copper fittings and sometimes a brass drain valve.
Here's a rough breakdown of metal content in common junk removal items:
- Refrigerator: 100-150 lbs steel, 2-4 lbs copper, 1-2 lbs aluminum
- Washer/dryer: 100-130 lbs steel, 5-8 lbs copper (motor windings)
- Water heater: 80-100 lbs steel, 3-5 lbs copper fittings
- Dishwasher: 60-80 lbs steel, 2-3 lbs copper
- Mattress (innerspring): 25-35 lbs steel springs
- Exercise equipment (treadmill, elliptical): 80-200 lbs steel
- Metal filing cabinet: 50-80 lbs steel
- Cast iron bathtub: 250-350 lbs cast iron
The copper is where the real value hides. Copper wiring in motors, copper tubing in old appliances, brass fittings on plumbing fixtures -- these are worth significantly more per pound than steel.
Current Scrap Prices in Oregon
Scrap metal prices change constantly -- they're tied to global commodity markets, Chinese demand, and domestic manufacturing output. But here is how the common metals rank at Oregon scrap yards as of early 2026:
- Steel/iron (mixed): The lowest value per pound. This is the bulk of what comes out of junk removal.
- Copper (#1 clean): The highest value per pound. Clean copper wire and tubing with no solder or insulation.
- Copper (#2 dirty): Slightly below clean copper. Copper with insulation, paint, or solder attached.
- Insulated copper wire: Well below bare copper, depending on gauge and insulation type.
- Aluminum (clean): Modest value per pound. Siding, window frames, storm doors.
- Brass: Mid-range value per pound. Faucets, valves, door hardware, decorative fixtures.
- Stainless steel: Low value per pound. Sinks, appliance panels, cookware.
- Cast iron: Low value per pound, similar to steel. Bathtubs, radiators, old pipe.
This ranking reflects ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries) data and local Portland-area yard postings. Your actual payout depends on quantity, cleanliness, and which yard you go to.
The Highest-Value Items
If you're wondering which junk items have the most scrap value, here's the honest ranking:
Cast iron bathtub: a modest payout. They're incredibly heavy (300+ lbs) which is exactly why people hire junk removal for them, but the scrap value is decent. Getting one out of a second-floor bathroom is the real cost.
Water heater: a small payout. Between the steel tank and copper fittings, a water heater is one of the better items to scrap. Plus they're relatively easy to move on a hand truck.
Washer or dryer: a small payout. The electric motors inside contain tightly wound copper coils. Some scrappers tear the motors apart for the copper alone.
Old copper plumbing: the best value per pound. If you're remodeling and pulling out copper pipe, save it. Even a small bathroom remodel can yield 5-10 lbs of copper tubing worth saving.
Aluminum storm doors and windows: a small payout each. Lightweight but the aluminum value adds up, especially with a full house renovation.
The stuff that's NOT worth scrapping yourself? Steel filing cabinets, steel shelving, mattress springs. The steel value is so low per pound that the time and gas to haul it to a scrap yard doesn't pencil out unless you have a full truck load.
When Scrapping Isn't Worth Your Time
Here's the math most people don't do. Say you have an old refrigerator with a small amount of scrap metal value. To get that money, you need to: disconnect it, move it (150+ lbs) to your truck, drive to a scrap yard, wait in line, unload it, and drive home. That's 2-3 hours minimum for a small payout.
Professional junk removal services factor scrap value into their pricing. When a hauler picks up an old appliance, metal recovery can offset part of the disposal cost. You're effectively getting credit for the scrap value through a lower removal price -- without spending your Saturday at the scrap yard.
Scrapping makes sense if you're doing a major renovation with a lot of metal coming out, you already have a truck and trailer, or you're a contractor who accumulates metal regularly. For a single appliance or a weekend cleanout? Hire somebody.
How Junk Removal Crews Handle Metals
Every junk removal load gets mentally sorted by the crew as they're loading it. Metals are the first thing they identify because they have the clearest recycling path and the most consistent value.
Metal items are worth routing to a recycler rather than the landfill, so ask any hauler how metal is sorted before you book. Appliances with refrigerant (fridges, freezers, AC units) go through proper freon recovery first -- that's an EPA requirement. Then the cleaned unit goes to a metal recycler.
The scrap revenue doesn't make junk removal profitable on its own -- not even close. But it does two things: it keeps hundreds of tons of metal out of Oregon landfills annually, and it helps keep our pricing competitive. That old water heater has value. We make sure it gets recovered.
