The problem
"Every vehicle feels like a different guessing game"
"Cars come through and I know roughly what's in them, but I've never had a clean way to see what each part is actually worth before it all gets bundled together and sent off."
Once you see the composition of a typical vehicle clearly, the guessing game mostly disappears. The mix is more consistent than it feels in the middle of a busy day of processing.
What a typical vehicle actually yields
These figures are typical, not exact. The mix varies by make, model, and age, and a modern lightweight vehicle can differ meaningfully from an older, heavier one. Modern recycling facilities recover over 95% of a vehicle's total weight once fully processed, which is worth knowing as a general benchmark for how little should end up wasted.
Check today's reference prices for steel, aluminium, and cast iron before you list this week's output.
Check live pricesTwo things most yards under-price
Zorba
The industry term for the fragmented non-ferrous mix left after shredding: aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, and more combined. It's a real, tradeable category on its own, graded differently from sorted single-metal material, and worth listing as what it actually is rather than folding it into a generic mixed lot.
Catalytic converters
Priced per unit by vehicle model, not by weight, which means bundling them into a general steel listing tends to leave real value on the table. Pulling and listing them separately usually reflects their actual worth far better.
Sorted beats mixed, every time
The same principle that applies to every scrap category applies here: clean aluminium extrusion or copper cable listed separately typically outperforms the same metals sold as an unsorted mix. If non-ferrous material is already being sorted off the line, listing it by grade rather than as one bundled lot is usually worth the extra step, especially at the volumes a busy yard moves.
The honest objection
"I move volume, not occasional single vehicles. Does this still work?"
Yes, the mechanics don't change with volume
Whether it's one vehicle a week or a high-volume operation, listings and buyer requests work the same way. Larger lots can run as a live auction if competing offers matter more than a fixed price, and escrow holds payment until pickup or delivery is confirmed on every listing, whether it's your first sale or your five-hundredth.
Frequently asked questions
How much scrap metal actually comes out of one car?
Roughly 600kg of steel, 90kg of aluminium, and around 10kg of cast iron in a typical end-of-life vehicle, though the exact mix varies by make and age. Modern recycling facilities recover over 95% of a vehicle's total weight once it is fully processed.
What is Zorba, and does it matter for pricing?
Zorba is the industry term for the fragmented non-ferrous mix left after a vehicle is shredded: aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, and other metals combined. It is a real, tradeable category in its own right and grades differently from sorted, single-metal material.
Should catalytic converters be listed with the rest of the scrap?
No, they are usually worth pulling and listing separately. Catalytic converters are priced per unit by vehicle model rather than by weight, so bundling them into a general steel or mixed-metal listing tends to undervalue them.
Can I list regular volume, not just an occasional vehicle?
Yes. Whether it is one vehicle a week or a high-volume yard, listings and buyer requests work the same way, and larger lots can run as a live auction if competing offers are preferred over a fixed price.
List your vehicle processing output
Reach verified buyers for steel, aluminium, cast iron, Zorba, and catalytic converters, all under one account.
Related reading: Scrap material categories · Yard management software · Live material prices