If you’ve got old copper wiring from a renovation, a rusted-out appliance in the garage, or a vehicle that’s been collecting leaves for three years before you pay someone to haul it away, you should know what that metal is actually worth in 2026. Because the answer might surprise you.
Mississauga is one of the GTA’s most active hubs for metal recycling. Scrap yards here are buying aggressively, and market conditions this year have pushed prices on several metals to multi-year highs. This guide gives you the current Mississauga scrap metal pricing, explains why prices are where they are, and tells you exactly how to walk into a yard and get the best possible rate.
Current Scrap Metal Prices in Mississauga (2026)
Prices below reflect current Ontario scrap yard market rates as of April 2026, denominated in Canadian dollars. Yard pay prices vary based on grade, contamination, moisture, and daily market shifts — always call ahead to confirm the day’s board rate.
Copper Scrap Prices
| Grade / Description | Estimated Price (CAD/lb) |
| Bare Bright (No. 1) | ~$5.15 |
| Copper #1 (clean pipe) | ~$5.00 |
| Copper #2 (soldered/painted) | ~$4.75 |
| Strippable insulated wire | ~$3.30 |
| House/insulated wire (non-strip) | ~$2.20 |
| Mixed / dirty wire | ~$0.75 |
Aluminum Scrap Prices
| Grade / Description | Estimated Price (CAD/lb) |
| Clean extrusions / siding | ~$0.90 – $1.20 |
| Aluminum wheels (clean) | ~$0.85 – $1.00 |
| Cast aluminum | ~$0.75 – $0.90 |
| Beverage cans (UBC) | ~$0.65 – $0.79 |
| Aluminum radiators | ~$0.55 – $0.70 |
| Dirty / mixed aluminum | ~$0.25 – $0.45 |
Brass Scrap Prices
| Grade / Description | Estimated Price (CAD/lb) |
| Red Brass (clean) | ~$3.50 – $4.97 |
| Yellow Brass (clean) | ~$3.00 – $3.50 |
| Brass fittings / valves | ~$2.80 – $3.20 |
| Dirty brass | ~$1.25 – $2.00 |
Stainless Steel & Lead Prices
| Grade / Description | Estimated Price (CAD/lb) |
| Stainless 304 (non-magnetic) | ~$0.45 – $0.65 |
| Stainless (magnetic grade) | ~$0.19 – $0.28 |
| Lead batteries | ~$0.45 – $0.60 |
| Mixed lead | ~$0.35 – $0.50 |
Steel Scrap Prices
| Grade / Description | Estimated Price (CAD/lb) |
| Heavy Melting Steel (HMS 1 & 2) | $0.12 – $0.18 |
| Shredded Steel | $0.14 – $0.20 |
| Cast Iron | $0.11 – $0.17 |
| Structural Steel | $0.12 – $0.18 |
| Light Iron / Sheet Metal | $0.09 – $0.14 |
| Auto Bodies | Auto Bodies |
| Tin-Coated Steel | $0.09 – $0.12 |
| Appliances (white goods) | $0.10 – $0.16 |
Why Scrap Metal Prices Are Strong in 2026
Several converging forces have kept scrap metal pricing elevated across Ontario this year. Understanding these drivers helps you decide when to sell, not just how much to expect.
EV & Green Energy Demand: The push for electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure has created relentless demand for copper and aluminum — the two metals most essential to wiring, motors, and battery systems.
GTA Construction Boom: Ongoing residential and commercial development across Mississauga and the broader GTA keeps structural steel and wiring in constant demand from local fabricators and contractors.
Global Supply Chain Pressures: Mining output disruptions in South America and Asia have constrained the supply of virgin metals, making recycled scrap a more cost-effective and faster alternative for manufacturers.
USD/CAD Exchange Rate: International scrap markets price in USD. A weaker Canadian dollar means local yards can pay more in CAD terms for the same metal which works in your favor when selling domestically.
Ontario Recycling Incentives: Provincial incentives and the lower carbon cost of melting scrap versus smelting new ore make recycled metal increasingly attractive to Ontario manufacturers.
Yard Competition in Mississauga: The high density of scrap buyers in the Mississauga/Peel Region means yards compete for inventory. More competition means better rates for sellers who shop around.
Ferrous vs. Non-Ferrous: The First Rule of Scrapping
If you’ve never sold scrap before, this is the single most important concept to understand before driving to the yard.
The easiest test in scrapping: hold a magnet to your metal. If it sticks, it’s ferrous (iron-based) and pays less. If it doesn’t stick, you’re likely holding something far more valuable.
Ferrous metals – steel, cast iron, and wrought iron are magnetic and abundant. They’re essential to the market but priced by the ton, not the pound. Old appliances, car frames, rebar, and pipe fittings are typically ferrous. Don’t throw these away; just know they’re the lower end of your haul’s value.
Non-ferrous metals – copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel, lead, and zinc — are the real earners. They don’t rust the same way, they’re harder to produce from raw ore, and they’re in higher global demand. Copper is the undisputed top earner, followed by brass and clean aluminum.
Always separate your ferrous and non-ferrous loads before arriving at the yard. Mixing them results in the buyer pricing your entire load at the lower ferrous rate — you lose significant money for just a few minutes of sorting.
Getting Top Dollar for Your Copper
Copper is the king of the scrap yard. In 2026, bare bright copper is fetching around $5.15/lb CAD at Ontario yards a price that makes preparation genuinely worthwhile.
Bare Bright (No. 1 Copper): Shiny, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire or tubing with no fittings, solder, or insulation attached. This is the top grade and earns the highest price. To get here from insulated wire, you need to strip the plastic sheathing completely. The price difference between insulated wire (~$2.20/lb) and bare bright (~$5.15/lb) is enormous stripping is absolutely worth your time for anything 12 AWG and larger.
Copper No. 2: Clean copper with solder joints, paint, or minor coatings — like most old plumbing pipe. Still valuable, but graded lower. Remove fittings where you can; a brass fitting on a copper pipe drops the grade of the entire piece.
Insulated Wire: The grade depends on whether the insulation can be stripped. Non-strippable wire (thin gauge, bonded insulation) is valued at roughly half the strippable rate. Note that burning wire to remove insulation is illegal in Ontario under the Environmental Protection Act reputable yards will not accept it, and it damages the copper through oxidation anyway.
Aluminum Recycling Rates in Mississauga
Aluminum is the most commonly found non-ferrous metal in most homes and businesses. Window frames, siding, cans, car wheels, engine blocks, and gutters all contain aluminum and in 2026, the automotive industry’s push toward lighter aluminum-intensive vehicles has kept demand strong.
The key to the best aluminum rate is avoiding contamination. Contamination includes steel screws in frames, rubber seals on extrusions, glass in window assemblies, and plastic handles on cookware. A clean aluminum extrusion stripped of all non-aluminum parts can earn nearly double the rate of a dirty, mixed piece.
Aluminum wheels are worth separating if they are clean and free of steel hardware. Cast aluminum (engine blocks, transmission housings) pays a slightly lower rate than extruded aluminum but is still significantly better than steel. Beverage cans are easy to collect but light and bulky — you’ll need real volume to make a meaningful return.
Brass, Stainless Steel & the Overlooked Metals
Brass is often skipped over, but it’s a heavy, dense metal that pays well. Old door hardware, valves, faucets, musical instruments, and plumbing fittings are common sources. Because brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, its price tracks closely with copper. Red brass higher copper content, found in plumbing fittings and valves — pays more than yellow brass used in decorative hardware. Clean your brass by removing any steel or iron components before you arrive.
Stainless steel can be tricky because it looks like ordinary steel. The quick test: use a magnet. Non-magnetic stainless (304 grade, used in high-end kitchen sinks, food equipment, and medical devices) is worth considerably more than magnetic stainless. At current rates, non-magnetic 304 stainless pays around $0.45–$0.65/lb much more than regular HMS steel at $0.12–$0.18/lb. Always check your sinks and kitchen equipment with a magnet before lumping them in with the steel pile.
Scrapping a Vehicle in Mississauga
A full vehicle is one of the most valuable loads you can turn in, but the process works differently from bringing loose metal to a yard.
Vehicle weight is the primary driver of the base scrap price. Heavier vehicles SUVs, trucks, full-size sedans are worth more simply because there’s more metal. A full-size pickup can weigh close to 2,500 kg, which at current steel rates represents serious money.
The catalytic converter is often the most valuable single component on an end-of-life vehicle. Catalytic converters contain platinum, palladium, and rhodium precious metals worth hundreds of dollars on their own. Confirm whether the quote you receive includes or excludes the catalytic converter, as some services price it separately.
Working parts batteries, alternators, starters, radiators add value if the buyer can resell them. Be upfront about what’s missing or damaged so there are no surprises at pickup.
The most convenient option is a scrap car removal service that comes to your location, tows the vehicle at no charge, and pays you cash or e-transfer on the spot. Ontario law requires signed vehicle ownership documents you cannot legally scrap a car without them.
Conclusion
Turning scrap into cash is all about knowing the market and being prepared. By sorting your metals and watching the daily rates, you can turn a pile of junk into a serious payday. Mississauga is a massive hub for recycling, so there is plenty of competition ready to pay for your haul.
If you have an old vehicle taking up space, do not let it rust away for nothing. Connecting with a reliable Scrap Car removal Mississauga is the fastest way to get a fair price and free towing. Ready to clear your driveway? Reach out for a quick quote and see how much cash you can get today.