What's the difference between selling aluminium extrusion (window and door frames) and aluminium cans for scrap?
Short answer: These are graded and priced completely differently — extrusion is a solid, high-purity wrought aluminium alloy formed by pushing metal through a die, generally trading at a meaningfully better price than the thin, coated, and often mixed-alloy material found in beverage cans, which needs more processing to reprocess cleanly.
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List Free →Why extrusion is a higher grade
Window frames, door frames, and similar extruded sections are typically made from a consistent, higher-purity wrought aluminium alloy — this consistency and purity is exactly what recyclers want, and it’s reflected in generally better pricing.
Why cans price differently
Beverage cans are thin-gauge, coated (inside and out), and sometimes a blend of two different aluminium alloys (body and lid) — this combination requires more processing to separate and clean before reprocessing, which is reflected in the price.
What this means for you
If you’re clearing out both construction offcuts and household cans, keep them separate rather than combining into one mixed load — you’ll get meaningfully better value for the extrusion portion.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
ScrapTrade lets you list extrusion and cans as separate categories, so buyers price each on its actual grade rather than assuming the worst about a mixed load.
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