Sao Paulo generates more scrap than anywhere else in Brazil and has the most developed cooperative infrastructure to handle it. The industrial belt around the city supplies clean fabrication offcut, and the better cooperatives here run mechanical sorting rather than hand-picking a conveyor.
Scrap metal prices per kg in Sao Paulo
| 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 Sao Paulo. 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.
Sao Paulo scrap price chart (BRL)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in BRL, the same series Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo
The Sao Paulo metropolitan area combines three supply streams that few other Brazilian cities have together: heavy industrial offcut from the surrounding manufacturing belt, construction and demolition steel from continuous redevelopment, and a large household flow that reaches the chain through catadores. The result is volume and variety, and the ferro velhos here operate at a scale that lets them separate grades properly rather than buying everything as mixed.
The cooperative layer is also more advanced here than in most of the country. Most Brazilian cooperatives still work with a conveyor belt for manual separation and a baler and nothing else. The exception cited in industry reviews is in the south-east: Coopercaps, which runs two mechanical segregation units comparable to a materials recovery facility and has founded a training centre offering on-the-job instruction to other cooperatives and catadores. For a seller that matters, because a buyer who can sort mechanically can pay for material a hand-sorting operation would discount.
- State
- Sao Paulo
- Currency
- Brazilian real (BRL), per kilogram
- Supply
- Industrial offcut, construction and demolition, household via catadores
- Note
- Mechanical sorting capability is unusual in Brazil and concentrated here
Where the scrap yards are in Sao Paulo
- The ABC industrial region and the wider manufacturing belt, where fabrication offcut originates.
- Cooperative sorting facilities across the metropolitan area, some with mechanical segregation.
- Ferro velhos in the outer districts, buying from catadores and consolidating upward.
What pays well in Sao Paulo
- Clean industrial offcut from the manufacturing belt.
- Separated copper and aluminium, where sorting capability lifts the price.
- Construction and demolition ferrous in consolidated volume.
Selling scrap metal in Sao Paulo: rules, ID and payment
No scrap dealer licence exists. Ask for the Nota Fiscal on anything beyond a household quantity, separate metals before selling, and if you generate recyclable material as a business, consider whether a cooperative can take it, since the framework favours them.
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.
Sao Paulo scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in Sao Paulo today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about R$59.23 per kg in BRL. Sao Paulo 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.
Why does Sao Paulo pay differently from other Brazilian cities?
Scale and sorting. The volume lets ferro velhos separate grades properly instead of buying mixed, and the more advanced cooperatives run mechanical segregation rather than hand-picking a belt. A buyer who can sort accurately can pay for what is actually in a load.
What is Coopercaps?
A cooperative in south-east Brazil cited as an exception to the norm: it operates two mechanical segregation units comparable to a materials recovery facility and has founded a training centre providing on-the-job instruction to other cooperatives and catadores.
Where does industrial scrap come from here?
The manufacturing belt around the city, including the ABC region. Fabrication offcut is cleaner and more consistent than household metal, which is why it trades closer to contract terms than to walk-in rates.
Are Sao Paulo prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the Brazil indicative level, and Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo 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 Sao Paulo vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in Brazil · All countries · Catalytic converter prices