It’s a question we get at the yard more often than you’d expect: “I’ve got a mix of aluminium and copper , which should I focus on sorting first?” The answer is almost always copper. But the real answer is a bit more interesting than that, because the right choice depends on what you’ve actually got, how much preparation time you’re willing to put in, and what the current market looks like.
Here’s a straight-talking comparison of how these two metals stack up for Perth sellers in 2026.
The price difference , significant but not the whole story
Clean copper pays roughly 5-8 times more per kilogram than aluminium in Perth right now. Bare-bright stripped copper wire sits around $11-$13/kg; aluminium extrusions are in the $1.60-$2.20/kg range. That’s a substantial gap.
But here’s what that comparison glosses over: copper is typically harder to come by in significant quantities than aluminium. Aluminium is the metal of everyday construction , window frames, roller shutters, fly screen frames, vehicle body panels, cable tray. Most residential and commercial properties are full of it. Copper is more concentrated in wiring, plumbing, and HVAC , valuable per kilogram, but you typically have less of it.
The practical reality: if you’re a tradie or doing a renovation, you’ll usually end up selling both. The question is how to handle each one correctly to get the best total payout.
When copper is the clear winner
Copper wins on per-kilogram value every time. If you have a choice between spending 30 minutes stripping copper wire or baling aluminium, strip the copper. The maths don’t lie.
A 20kg load of insulated copper wire, if you strip it to bare-bright, might go from $80-$140 to $220-$260 for the same weight. That’s an extra $80-$180 from roughly an hour’s work with a stripper tool.
Copper is also the better metal to sell when prices are volatile. Because it’s worth more per kilogram, the same daily price movement has a larger dollar impact. On the upside, you benefit more from a good market day.
When aluminium makes more sense to prioritise
Aluminium wins on volume. If you’ve just finished a window replacement job or a big roller door installation in Rockingham, you might have 50-80kg of aluminium frames. At $1.80/kg, that’s $90-$144 from material that would otherwise go to landfill.
Aluminium is also lower-effort to prepare. There’s no stripping involved , just separate it by grade (extrusions from castings), remove obvious plastic or rubber seals, and you’re set. For a tradie managing a busy site, that low-prep profile matters.
Cast aluminium , engine blocks, gearbox casings, old machinery parts , pays less than extrusion but is worth keeping separate. Don’t mix cast with clean extrusions or you’ll pull the average price down.
Sort and sell both metals at Starlight Metals
We buy copper and aluminium at our Naval Base yard , weighed separately, priced separately. Same-day payment for both. Call or WhatsApp for current rates.
Call 0436 278 549 or WhatsApp us →
Side-by-side: key differences for Perth sellers
Copper: $5-$13/kg depending on grade | Requires sorting by grade, stripping wire | Most valuable when well-prepared | Less volume but higher value per trip
Aluminium: $0.80-$2.20/kg depending on grade | Lower prep effort | High volume from construction and renovation | Worth doing even without extensive preparation
Both metals benefit from being sorted before arrival. Mixed loads get priced at the lowest grade in the mix , which is the single most costly mistake sellers make.
The materials that confuse people most
A few common scrapping situations that blur the copper-vs-aluminium question:
Electrical cable with copper conductors and aluminium sheathing
Some older industrial cable uses copper conductors inside aluminium armour. These aren’t worth stripping manually at scale , bring them in as-is and let the yard assess. They’re priced as a mixed commodity.
Copper-clad aluminium (CCA) wire
CCA wire looks like copper wire but has an aluminium core with a thin copper coating. It pays much less than real copper , closer to the aluminium rate. Most Perth yards can test for it. If you’re not sure what you have, ask at the yard before assuming it’s top-grade copper.
Old air conditioner units
Air conditioners contain both copper (refrigerant coils) and aluminium (fins, housing). Most yards take them as a complete unit priced as a mixed load. The copper content is significant, but extraction at scale requires industrial equipment.
Frequently asked questions
Which pays more per kg in Perth , copper or aluminium?
Copper pays significantly more. In mid-2026, clean copper wire is paying $11-$13/kg while aluminium extrusions pay $1.60-$2.20/kg. The difference is roughly 5-8 times in favour of copper at top grades.
Should I separate aluminium and copper before going to the yard?
Yes, always. Mixed loads get priced at the lowest-grade metal in the mix. Keeping copper and aluminium separate ensures each is priced correctly. Five minutes of sorting at your end can mean a noticeably better payout.
Is cast aluminium worth scrapping in Perth?
Yes, though it pays less than extruded aluminium , typically $1.00-$1.50/kg versus $1.60-$2.20/kg for clean extrusions. Keep cast aluminium separate from your clean extrusions so each can be graded and priced accurately.
How do I tell copper from copper-clad aluminium (CCA)?
CCA wire looks identical to copper at a glance. The easiest test: cut the wire and look at the cross-section. CCA shows a silver-grey aluminium core with a thin copper skin. You can also scratch the surface gently , CCA will show silver beneath the copper coating. Ask us at the yard if you’re not sure.
The short answer
Copper beats aluminium on per-kilogram value every time. But both metals are worth your time , aluminium wins on volume, and a well-prepared load of either material turns a waste problem into a cash payment.
If you’ve got both, here’s the order of operations: strip the copper wire first, remove fittings from copper pipe, then sort the aluminium by grade. Bring them in separately. Leave with a significantly better payout than if you’d mixed them.
Bring in both , we weigh and price them separately
Copper and aluminium accepted at our Naval Base yard. Rockingham, Bibra Lake, Henderson and surrounds. Open six days. Call for today’s rates.
Call 0436 278 549 for current prices →