graded on the spot · paid same day

Aluminium Recycling Auckland

Extrusion, cast, cans, wheels & wire — every aluminium grade, top prices.

check onehunga's aluminium prices check wairau's aluminium prices ☎ 0800 44 88 99

Endless buys all aluminium grades, from clean 6063 extrusion through to irony aluminium, at both Auckland yards. Whether you are a builder clearing window frames, an engineer with cast offcuts, an auto dismantler with alloy wheels, or a homeowner with a trailer of sheet metal, we grade your material on the spot and pay you the same day, with pricing tracked weekly against the London Metal Exchange (LME).

Visit either our Onehunga or Wairau Valley yard, and we will take you through exactly how your material is graded to give you the best aluminium scrap value.

Priced weekly against LME aluminium. Graded on the spot. Paid same day.

aluminium scrap grades — what we pay

Aluminium is the most recycled lightweight metal we handle. Clean 6063 extrusion commands the best price on the yard. As soon as contamination enters the picture — steel screws, thermal break plastic, paint, glass, attached iron — the grade drops and so does the price. Understanding which grade your aluminium falls into is the difference between top-dollar and a downgrade at the scales.

SiteWise Gold 2025/26 — health & safety prequalified

SiteWise Gold certified

Toitū carbon reduce certified

AMR & ReMA member

Licensed secondhand dealer

wrought & extrusion

Clean rolled and extruded aluminium commands the best aluminium scrap price per kg on the yard.

clean extrusion (6063)

conditions

non-magnetic
bare, clean 6063 extrusion
no contamination:
- plastic / thermal break
- steel screws / brackets
- glass / rubber
- paint & coating

examples

window frames
door frames
joinery extrusion
clean profile offcuts

aluminium domestic

conditions

non-magnetic
clean mixed household aluminium
joinery with glass & rubber removed
light gauge & sheet aluminium
no contamination:
- steel screws / brackets attached
- plastic
- glass
- rubber attached

examples

window & door frames
pots, pans & trays
garden furniture & ladders
guttering & spouting

We do not accept ALUCOBOND or any form of aluminium composite panels (ACP)

litho sheet (printing plates)

conditions

non-magnetic
thin aluminium offset / printing plates
clean and dry — paper and plastic removed
no contamination:
- ink-soaked or polymer-backed plates
- paper and plastic

examples

offset printing plates
litho plates
CTP plates
newspaper plates

found your grade?

check onehunga's aluminium prices check wairau's aluminium prices

cast

cast alloy — wheels, housings & castings

cast aluminium

conditions

non-magnetic
clean cast aluminium alloy
no contamination:
- oil / grease
- steel inserts / studs
- iron attached

examples

engine castings
gearbox housings
alloy castings
pump bodies

aluminium wheels (mags)

conditions

non-magnetic
clean alloy wheels
no contamination:
- tyres still on
- steel wheel weights
- steel centre / valve

examples

mag wheels
alloy rims
clean motorbike rims

aluminium truck rims

conditions

non-magnetic
clean alloy truck & trailer rims
no contamination:
- tyres still on
- steel rims (that's steel)
- steel valves / weights

examples

alloy truck rims
trailer rims
polished alloy rims

ready to sell your aluminium?

find your nearest yard

aluminium engines

conditions

non-magnetic
alloy engine blocks & heads
internal steel ok (crank, bolts, liners)
no contamination:
- oils and fluids
- cast-iron / steel engines
- still attached to the car

examples

alloy engine blocks
cylinder heads
gearbox / transmission cases
motorcycle & small engines

cans (UBC)

used beverage cans, baled or loose

cans (UBC)

conditions

non-magnetic
used beverage cans
dry
loosely compacted
no contamination:
- steel cans (magnetic)
- food / liquid residue

examples

drink cans
UBC bales
clean can offcuts

wire & cable

aluminium conductor — bare, insulated & steel-cored

aluminium wire

conditions

non-magnetic
bare, clean aluminium conductor — no insulation
overhead line & bus wire with the steel core stripped out
no contamination:
- connectors and attachments

examples

bare overhead line
aluminium bus wire
stripped aluminium conductor

found your grade?

check onehunga's aluminium prices check wairau's aluminium prices

aluminium wire (PVC)

conditions

non-magnetic
PVC-insulated aluminium cable & wire
we recover the aluminium — the sheathing is separated
no contamination:
- steel-armoured or steel-cored stock is graded separately

examples

pvc-sheathed aluminium mains
aluminium service cable
insulated aluminium conductor

ASCR / steel-reinforced cable

conditions

aluminium conductor with a steel core (ACSR/ASCR)
overhead line & transmission conductor
no contamination:
- priced on aluminium recovery — steel core deducted

examples

overhead power lines
transmission conductor
ACSR / ASCR cable
bare aluminium wire

radiators

aluminium & mixed-metal radiators

aluminium radiators

conditions

non-magnetic
aluminium tubes, fins and ends
all-aluminium radiators, intercoolers & coolers
no contamination:
- rubber hoses
- plastic and steel mounting brackets

examples

car aluminium radiators
intercoolers
aircon coils
oil coolers
condensers

ready to sell your aluminium?

find your nearest yard

irony aluminium radiators

conditions

non-magnetic
aluminium tubes and fins
all-aluminium radiators, intercoolers & coolers
may contain:
- plastic end caps
- minor ferrous attachments (max 5% by weight)
no contamination:
- fan housings
- rubber hoses

examples

radiators with steel side frames
steel-mounted intercoolers
aircon coils with steel brackets
condensers with steel housing

swarf & irony

turnings & steel-contaminated aluminium

aluminium swarf & turnings

conditions

non-magnetic
clean, dry machine turnings and shavings
keep separate from other metals and swarf
no contamination:
- oil
- coolant
- steel contamination
- plastic

examples

lathe turnings
milling swarf
CNC shavings
drilling swarf
extrusion offcuts

irony aluminium

conditions

aluminium with steel or other material attached (irony grade)
minimum 70% aluminium by weight
may contain:
- steel bolts & attachments
- mixed non-aluminium material
less than 70% aluminium by weight is bought as dirty light gauge (see steel)

examples

aluminium-frame lawnmower
steel and aluminium pistons
aluminium water pump
steering arms
aluminium pots and pans

still not sure what you've got?

Send us a pic and we'll tell you exactly which aluminium grade it is and what it's worth. No obligation, no pressure — just a fast answer from our grading team.

email us a photo or call 0800 44 88 99

the recycling process

how aluminium is recycled

Aluminium is endlessly recyclable and melts at a low temperature, which is why recycled aluminium is so valuable. Here's what happens to your aluminium once it arrives at our yard.

collection & sorting

Your aluminium arrives and our team sorts it by grade, separating clean extrusion from cast, wheels, sheet and cans to meet export specifications.

grading & inspection

Each piece is checked for contamination. Steel attachments, plastic, paint and non-aluminium metals are flagged so you're paid for the grade of your metal.

processing & baling

Clean grades are consolidated and baled; irony loads are separated. Material is prepared to the spec our export smelters require.

export & smelting

Containers are shipped to smelters where aluminium is melted at ~660°C and recast into billet or ingot — ready for a second life in new extrusion, castings, and packaging.

maximise your return

how to prepare your aluminium

A little preparation goes a long way. Presenting clean, sorted aluminium means better grades, faster processing, and higher payouts.

Sort by grade: keep clean 6063 extrusion separate from cast and sheet. Mixing downgrades your best material.
Remove the thermal break: the plastic strip and rubber seals in window frames downgrade extrusion. Stripping where practical lifts the grade.
Pull off steel attachments: screws, brackets, and studs push aluminium into the "irony" grade. Remove them where you can.
Wheels: alloy wheels pay best with tyres and steel weights removed.
Use a magnet: aluminium is non-magnetic. If a magnet sticks, you've got steel — that's a different grade.

Pro tip: If you are a builder, engineer, or auto dismantler handling regular volume, ask our team about dedicated scrap metal bin hire and site collection to get the best aluminium scrap rate on every load.

sustainability

why recycle aluminium

Every kilogram of aluminium recycled is a kilogram that doesn't need to be smelted from bauxite ore. Recycled aluminium delivers the same performance at a fraction of the environmental cost.

95%

less energy

Recycling aluminium uses up to 95% less energy than smelting new metal from bauxite ore — one of the largest energy savings of any recycled material.

∞

endlessly recyclable

Aluminium can be melted and recast infinitely without loss of quality. Every tonne we recover stays in circulation.

75%

still in use today

Around three-quarters of all the aluminium ever produced is still in use today, cycled through life after life without losing quality.

When you recycle aluminium with us, your scrap becomes new billet — not landfill, not ore-pit waste.

what we pay

pricing

The aluminium scrap price changes weekly based on the LME, the NZD/USD exchange rate, and local supply and demand. Our pricing is updated weekly so you always receive competitive rates per yard.

grade & purity

Clean 6063 extrusion commands the best price. Cast, sheet, and irony grades are priced below that to cover sorting and processing.

LME aluminium price

When the LME aluminium price rises, your payout rises with it. We track LME weekly.

NZD/USD exchange rate

Aluminium is priced globally in USD. A weaker New Zealand dollar lifts local scrap prices; a stronger dollar pulls them back.

volume & consistency

Larger, well-sorted, regular loads attract premium pricing. Ask about contract rates for consistent trade and commercial supply.

For today's aluminium prices at your nearest yard, visit our aluminium pricing page or call our team directly. Instant quotes on the phone or on the scales — no obligation.

still have questions?

Find what you’re looking for in the FAQs below.

How much is scrap aluminium worth in Auckland?

Aluminium prices change weekly with the LME aluminium price and the NZD/USD rate, and depend on grade — clean extrusion pays the most, then cast, sheet, wheels and cans. See the aluminium pricing page or call 0800 44 88 99. Graded on the spot, paid same day.

How much is scrap aluminium per kg?

It's quoted per kilogram and moves weekly with the aluminium market and exchange rate. We publish current per-kg rates per yard — check the pricing page or call for today's figure.

What's the best-paying aluminium grade?

Clean 6063 extrusion — window and door frames with the plastic thermal break, glass, rubber and steel removed — is typically the top aluminium grade, because it's a known, clean alloy that melts straight back into new extrusion.

Do you take aluminium cans?

Yes. Used beverage cans (UBC) are accepted dry and loosely packed. They're a lower grade than extrusion or cast, but still fully recyclable and paid by weight.

Do you buy alloy (mag) wheels?

Yes — we buy aluminium wheels with the tyre, wheel weights and valve removed. A bare alloy wheel is the grade. The steel weights and the valve are the two people most often miss, and both are steel in an aluminium load.

How do I tell aluminium from steel or other metals?

Aluminium is non-magnetic and noticeably light. If a magnet sticks, the piece contains steel and is graded as irony aluminium. Stainless and zinc can look similar, so we confirm it at the yard.

What is irony aluminium?

Irony aluminium is aluminium mixed with other contaminants — steel, plastic, wood or glass — such as castings with steel studs, frames with bolts, or mixed assemblies. To be worth recovering it needs to be more than 70% aluminium by volume; below that, the recovery process costs more than the base aluminium is worth. Removing what you can lifts your return.

Should I remove the thermal break from window frames?

Where practical, yes. The plastic thermal-break strip and rubber seals downgrade extrusion, so stripping them lifts the grade. If there's a lot, bring it in and we'll advise what's worth doing.

Where can I recycle aluminium in Auckland?

Both yards — Onehunga and Wairau Valley — accept all aluminium grades. Drive in, we weigh and grade on the spot, and pay the same day.

Can aluminium be recycled indefinitely?

Yes. Aluminium can be remelted endlessly without losing quality, using up to 95% less energy than smelting new metal from bauxite ore — one of the biggest energy savings of any recycled material.