Rio's recent scrap history is inseparable from Jardim Gramacho, the metropolitan landfill where an organised association of catadores worked until the site closed in June 2012. What replaced it is a dispersed street-collection economy feeding ferro velhos across the metropolitan area.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Rio de Janeiro
| Scrap type | Price (BRL) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | R$59.23 / kg | ▲ +2.30% | $5.78 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | R$8.30 / kg | ▲ +1.25% | $0.81 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | R$35.87 / kg | ▲ +1.45% | $3.50 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | R$5.84 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | R$6.05 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | R$9.22 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | R$2.36 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | R$34.02 / kg | ▲ +2.15% | $3.32 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | R$28.59 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $2.79 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | R$19.06 / kg | ▲ +2.20% | $1.86 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | R$8.20 / kg | ▲ +2.56% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | R$1,537 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | R$1,353 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | R$1,844 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | R$1,476 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in Brazil, shown here for Rio de Janeiro. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 5.22 BRL) is described in the methodology section below.
Rio de Janeiro scrap price chart (BRL)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in BRL, the same series Rio de Janeiro yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
Price history could not be loaded.
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The scrap market in Rio de Janeiro
Jardim Gramacho, outside Rio, was one of the largest landfills in the region, and the catadores working it were organised: the Associacao dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho, whose members were paid for what they collected, sorted and traded. The site became internationally known through the 2010 documentary Waste Land, in which the artist Vik Muniz worked with the association and auctioned the resulting works, donating the proceeds to it. The landfill closed in June 2012, and with it went a concentrated point where recyclable material and the people who recovered it met in one place.
What Rio has now is a dispersed collection economy: catadores working streets, buildings and commercial districts and selling to ferro velhos across the metropolitan area. That is more typical of Brazilian cities than the Gramacho model ever was, but the transition matters for anyone reading a price. Material passes through more hands and covers more ground before it reaches a consolidator, and each stage takes its share.
- State
- Rio de Janeiro
- Currency
- Brazilian real (BRL), per kilogram
- Jardim Gramacho
- Metropolitan landfill, closed June 2012
- Association
- Associacao dos Catadores do Aterro Metropolitano de Jardim Gramacho
Where the scrap yards are in Rio de Janeiro
- The Duque de Caxias area, where the Jardim Gramacho landfill operated until 2012.
- Ferro velhos across the metropolitan area, buying from street collectors.
- The port and industrial zones, where commercial and demolition material concentrates.
What pays well in Rio de Janeiro
- Separated non-ferrous, which holds value through a long chain.
- Consolidated demolition ferrous rather than piecemeal sales.
- Commercial refit and appliance material, a steady urban supply.
Selling scrap metal in Rio de Janeiro: rules, ID and payment
National rules apply: no dealer licence, and the Nota Fiscal documents the transaction. In a dispersed market, dealing with a ferro velho that has a fixed location is worth more than a marginally better number from a buyer without one.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
Rio de Janeiro scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Rio de Janeiro today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about R$59.23 per kg in BRL. Rio de Janeiro yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
What happened to Jardim Gramacho?
The landfill outside Rio closed in June 2012. Until then it supported an organised association of catadores whose members were paid for the recyclables they collected and sorted, and the site became internationally known through the 2010 documentary Waste Land.
How does Rio's scrap chain work now?
As a dispersed street economy. Catadores work streets, buildings and commercial districts and sell to ferro velhos across the metropolitan area, rather than material concentrating at a single site as it did at Gramacho.
Does the longer chain affect what I am paid?
Yes. Material passes through more hands and travels further before reaching a consolidator, and each stage takes a margin. For anything of real weight it is worth asking who your buyer sells to.
Are Rio de Janeiro prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Brazil indicative level, and Rio de Janeiro yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The Rio de Janeiro board uses the Brazil indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 0.89 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in Rio de Janeiro vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Brazil · All countries · Catalytic converter prices