# How Much Is Recycled Aluminum Worth?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 30, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597 "2001-10-30T20:58:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597/1 "2001-10-30T20:58:11Z")

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Here in my little West Georgia town, there’s a guy who independently buys aluminum, brass, copper etc. for recycling. For aluminum he pays .20 cents a pound, and _has_ paid only 20 cents a pound for about 5 years now.

Not that I intend to negotiate price with him, (I’m glad to recycle the cans and the profits help my community theatre group), but I was wondering if there is a way to see the per pound price on a daily basis?

I think Reynolds may pay more, but when you figure in the fuel costs getting to their trailer, it isn’t worth it.

Thanks!

Quasi

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597/2 "2001-10-30T22:57:43Z")

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This may be TMI, I dunno. Google, “aluminum cans recycling price”.

Mother of all price charts for 2001. I notice that by the 20 ton truckload, aluminum averages about 50 cents a pound. Obviously your quaint old fella is making some serious money.  
[http://www.ctmetal.com/HistoricPricing1.htm](http://www.ctmetal.com/HistoricPricing1.htm)

You have to register for this one to get metal prices and news.  
[http://www.metalprices.com/](http://www.metalprices.com/)

There’s a bunch more, but I have to go now–you can keep looking under “metals prices gold silver aluminum”. 🙂

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597/3 "2001-10-30T23:52:00Z")

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Our largest scrap yard in Akron pays .25/pound for cans. Every Earth Day(April?) they pay .45/pound. Guess who saves his beer/pop cans for a year at a time?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-is-recycled-aluminum-worth/90597/4 "2001-10-30T23:59:44Z")

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Last time I drove past the recycler here in St. Louis, it was IIRC .31/lb.