Aluminum Can Prices Today
As of October 2, 2026, scrap yards are paying about $0.51 to $0.62 per pound for aluminum beverage cans. About 32 empty cans make a pound, so each can is worth roughly 1.6 to 1.9 cents. That's 36% to 44% of LME aluminum at $1.41 per pound; the coating, label ink, and moisture melt off as loss, so cans keep less of the benchmark than clean sheet or extrusion.
Every aluminum grade is on the scrap aluminum prices page, and every metal is on the scrap metal prices hub.
What yards pay for aluminum cans
- Per pound
- $0.51 to $0.62
- Per kilogram
- $1.12 to $1.37
- Per can
- 1.6 to 1.9 cents
Estimated yard price: 36% to 44% of the LME aluminum price ($1.41/lb as of October 2, 2026). Ranges cover the spread between yards.
Estimates checked against posted yard boards on September 18, 2026.
Cans to dollars calculator
Enter how many cans you have. The estimate uses the per-pound range in the price card above. Add a yard's quote to see where it lands in that range.
Estimated payout
$15.84 to $19.36
1,000 cans is about 31.3 lb (14.2 kg). At $0.51 to $0.62 per lb.
Counts use about 32 empty 12 oz cans to a pound. Tall 16 oz cans run about 24 to a pound, so weigh a bag of those. Yards pay on their own scale after grading, and boards differ by region, so use the range to judge a quote.
LME aluminum, the price behind cans
The LME quotes aluminum per metric tonne. The can price is a fixed share of it per pound, so this chart is the timing signal for a can run.
What yards want in a load of cans
Empty, dry cans. The coating, the label ink, and moisture all melt off as loss, which is why cans pay well below sheet.
About 32 empty 12 oz cans make a pound, or roughly 24 of the tall 16 oz ones, so a bag of tall cans weighs more than its count suggests. For more than a bag or two, weigh them; a luggage scale is close enough.
Crush them only if the yard says it accepts crushed cans. A few pay less for crushed loads because they can't check what's inside.
In the ten states with container deposits (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon, and Vermont) a can returns 5 or 10 cents at a redemption center, against about 1.6 to 1.9 cents for the metal at a yard today. Redeem what you can there and bring the rest to the yard.
What lowers the price of cans
- 1Liquid and moisture. Wet cans weigh more than the metal in them, and the water is lost in the melt. Drain them and let them dry.
- 2Steel cans in the bag. Food cans are usually steel. A magnet sticks to them and not to aluminum, so they're quick to pull out.
- 3Trash and plastic. Bottles, lids, and food waste in the bag get the load picked through or graded down.
- 4Crushing for the wrong yard. Some yards pay less for crushed cans. Ask before you flatten a season's worth.
Related grades
Nearby grades and what they bring per pound. The full board is on the scrap aluminum prices page.
Where this estimate comes from
The estimate is the live LME aluminum price times the share yards typically pay for this grade (36% to 44%). The share was set by dividing posted yard prices by the same day's benchmark, using these public boards, and last checked on September 18, 2026:
- Rockaway Recycling (New Jersey), posted board of September 18, 2026
- Central Metal Recycling (Chicago), posted board, mid-September 2026
- MetalRecap national price survey, September 17, 2026
- ScrapMonster North American grade spreads, June 2026
Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.
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