Zinc scrap is worth $0.25 to $0.60 per pound today, with clean zinc die cast at the top of the range and mixed or contaminated material at the bottom. The price follows LME zinc, currently trading around $2,800 per tonne (about $1.27/lb). Common sources include die cast parts like carburetors and toy cars, roofing zinc, anodes, and old plumbing fixtures.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean zinc die cast | $0.40 | $0.60 | USD/lb |
| Mixed / contaminated zinc | $0.25 | $0.40 | USD/lb |
| Zinc anodes | $0.35 | $0.55 | USD/lb |
| Zinc sheet / flashing | $0.30 | $0.50 | USD/lb |
| Country | Typical Range | Per Tonne | Cur. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $0.25 – $0.60 /lb | $550 – $1,300 | USD |
| Canada | C$0.75 – C$1.85 /kg | C$750 – C$1,850 | CAD |
| United Kingdom | £0.40 – £1.00 /kg | £400 – £1,000 | GBP |
| Germany / EU | €0.50 – €1.20 /kg | €500 – €1,200 | EUR |
| Australia | A$0.85 – A$2.00 /kg | A$850 – A$2,000 | AUD |
| India | ₹48 – ₹120 /kg | ₹48,000 – ₹120,000 | INR |
| UAE / Dubai | 2.0 – 4.9 AED/kg | 2,000 – 4,900 AED | AED |
Rates for every other metal grade are collected in the complete scrap metal price index.
Why Zinc Is the Overlooked Scrap Metal
Zinc rarely gets the attention copper and aluminum enjoy, but it’s a legitimate money-maker hiding in plain sight. Die cast zinc (often called “pot metal” by scrappers) makes up carburetors, door handles, faucet bodies, toy cars, trophy bases, and countless small mechanical parts manufactured over the last 80 years.
The global zinc market is anchored by galvanizing demand, since roughly half of all zinc produced goes into coating steel against rust. That industrial baseline keeps LME zinc trading in a stable band and gives scrap zinc a dependable floor.
The challenge with zinc is identification and sorting. Most sellers dump die cast into mixed metal bins and take pennies, when a sorted zinc pile earns a real per-pound rate.
Where Zinc Hides in Everyday Scrap
- Die cast parts: Old carburetors, fuel pumps, door handles, window cranks, faucet bodies, and toy cars (vintage Matchbox and Hot Wheels bodies are zinc).
- Sacrificial anodes: Boat hulls, water heaters, and pipelines use zinc anodes that corrode on purpose. Spent anodes are pure scrap zinc.
- Roofing and flashing: European-style zinc roofing and architectural sheet turn up in renovations.
- Printing plates: Old letterpress and lithography shops used zinc plates by the hundred.
- Trophy bases and hardware: That box of old trophies is mostly zinc under the gold paint.
How to Identify Zinc
Zinc die cast is non-magnetic, heavier than aluminum but lighter than brass, and has a distinctive dull gray fracture when snapped. The definitive test: zinc is brittle. Bend a thin piece and it cracks rather than folding like aluminum. Scratch the surface and the metal underneath shows blue-gray rather than aluminum’s bright white or brass’s yellow.
The classic scrapper confusion is zinc versus aluminum, since both are light and silvery. Get it wrong in the aluminum pile and the yard will spot it (zinc melts differently) and dock your whole load. Sort carefully, and check our aluminum scrap price guide for the other side of that comparison.
Common Mistakes That Shrink Zinc Payouts
- Dumping die cast in mixed metal: Sorted zinc earns 2-3x the mixed pot metal rate.
- Leaving steel attachments on: Screws, springs, and shafts make your zinc “irony” and cut the price by 30-40%. Ten minutes with pliers pays well.
- Missing the carburetor bonus: Old carbs are mostly zinc but may carry brass jets and fittings worth 5x more. Strip the brass first.
- Confusing zinc with aluminum: Contaminating an aluminum load costs more than the zinc is worth.
- Selling anodes as junk steel: Spent boat anodes are clean zinc. Yards that know will pay properly; ask for the zinc rate specifically.
Getting the Best Price
Sort die cast into its own bin, strip every steel screw and brass fitting, and call yards asking specifically for their “zinc die cast” rate rather than accepting a generic mixed-metal quote. Track LME zinc if you’re accumulating volume, since yard rates follow the exchange within days.
Zinc won’t headline anyone’s scrap haul, but as a sorted side pile it consistently adds $10-$50 to loads that would otherwise leave it as pot metal pennies. Combine it with your copper and stainless sorting routine and every cleanout pays a little more.
Related scrap price guides
- Shredded Metal Scrap Cost: Mill Benchmarks & Yard Payouts
- Aluminum Scrap Price: What It’s Really Worth Per Pound Right Today
- Titanium Scrap Price: Grade-by-Grade Values & Buyer Guide
- Ford Torpedo Catalytic Converter Scrap Price: Biscuit Count Guide
- Scrap metal price index — all 25 materials and part types