Zinc Scrap Prices (Latest Reported, (per Pound))
Compare today's US scrapyard scale rates for Zinc scrap per pound, benchmarked across commercial recycling grades from clean solids to mixed alloys. Review current yard averages, state-by-state price spreads, and grade sorting rules before hauling.
Today's Zinc Prices by Grade
Current per-pound national average payouts and scale price spreads for all common Zinc scrap grades, verified across active US yards.
| Grade | National Scale Avg | Typical Scale Range | 7-Day Trend | Reporting Yards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean Zinc Die Cast | $0.300/lb | $0.300 – $0.300 | → | 1 yards | |
| Irony Zinc Die Cast | $0.100/lb | $0.050 – $0.150 | → | 2 yards | |
| Zinc Solids | $0.288/lb | $0.250 – $0.328 | → | 4 yards | |
| Scrap Carburetors | $0.450/lb | $0.450 – $0.450 | → | 1 yards |
Non-ferrous metals cross platform scales and pay cash per pound.
Scrap Value Calculator
Estimate your cash payout before you haul. Select your metal grade and enter your load weight to see what your scrap is worth at the scale based on verified yard averages and price spreads.
Zinc Price Trend (12 Months)
Historical 12-month scale price trajectory and wholesale exchange correlation (LME Zinc) for Zinc, helping you identify price momentum before you haul to the yard.
How to get the best price for Zinc
Straightforward sorting, stripping, and prep tips to upgrade your Zinc into top-tier grades and prevent scale downgrades.
Pull steel shafts, bushings, and fasteners from die-cast parts.
Keep carburetors and mixed pot metal out of the clean zinc pile.
Do not add galvanized sheet, conduit, or duct. That is steel.
Keep aluminum die cast out of the zinc pile. A magnet finds attached steel.
How zinc scrap is graded
Zinc scrap is a small market. Most of it is die-cast zinc: small cast parts such as hardware, trim, and carburetors. Clean die cast pays best, and pieces with steel shafts or other metals attached (irony die cast) pay less. Galvanized steel is not zinc scrap. It is steel with a thin coating and is paid as steel.
Clean vs. irony die cast
Clean die cast is broken hardware and trim with steel parts pulled out. Irony die cast still has shafts, bushings, or heavy contamination and is paid on a lower recovery. Carburetors are a mixed lot and are often priced as their own lower grade.
Galvanized steel is not zinc scrap
The zinc layer on galvanized sheet is very thin compared with the steel. Yards buy it as steel. Putting galvanized pieces in with die cast gets the load regraded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common answers on scrap metal grading standards, scale payout rules, sorting methods, and scale ticket calculations.
What is the current zinc scrap price?
The headline figure is $0.300/lb for Clean Zinc Die Cast as of Apr 22, 2026. Other grades pay more or less, so check the table above.
How are zinc scrap prices set?
Clean die-cast zinc follows the LME zinc price at a discount. Irony die cast and mixed pot metal sit further below it. Few yards report zinc, so one large lot can move the average.
Is galvanized metal zinc scrap?
No. Galvanized metal is steel with a thin zinc coating and is paid as steel. Clean die-cast zinc, such as Zamak hardware and pot metal without iron, is the zinc grade covered here.
What is die-cast zinc?
Zinc alloys such as Zamak, used for hardware, auto trim, and small cast fittings. Clean die cast with no iron attached is the main zinc scrap grade. Carburetors and pieces with steel pay less.