Most aluminium scrap in India still changes hands through phone calls, local kabadiwalas and a few regular traders. That works, but it often means selling mixed lots at a mixed price, waiting on payment and never knowing what a better-sorted lot could have fetched. Selling online does not change the metal. It changes how many serious buyers see your lot and how clearly the deal is written down.
This guide walks through the steps that matter, whether you generate a few hundred kg of turnings a month or several trucks of extrusion scrap.
1. Know what you actually have
Buyers price scrap by grade, not by the word "aluminium". A lot of clean 6063 extrusion cut-ends and a lot of painted sections mixed with steel screws are two very different products. Before you list anything, separate your material into the grades buyers recognise:
- Extrusion scrap (clean, painted or anodised, with or without thermal break)
- Old cast such as engine parts, wheels and pistons
- Old sheet and utensil scrap
- Turnings and borings from machining shops
- UBC (used beverage cans)
- Wire and cable scrap
- Dross and skimmings from your own melting, if any
If you are unsure of the names, our guide to aluminium scrap grades explains the common ISRI terms used in India such as Tense, Taint/Tabor and Zorba.
2. Sort and clean before you sell
Segregation is the single biggest lever on price. Every buyer deducts for iron, plastic, rubber, oil and moisture, and a mixed lot is priced at the level of its worst component. Simple steps that pay back:
- Keep alloys apart: cast alloys, wrought alloys and pure grades go into separate bins.
- Remove steel inserts, screws and fittings, and run a magnet over the pile.
- Drain and dry turnings. Oily, wet turnings lose weight in the furnace and are discounted for Moisture / oil.
- Store under cover. Rain adds weight that buyers will deduct, and it can trigger disputes at the weighbridge.
3. Describe the lot the way a buyer reads it
A good listing answers the questions a buyer would otherwise ask on the phone. Include:
- Grade and form (loose, baled, briquetted, in jumbo bags)
- Approximate quantity in kg or MT and whether it is a one-time or monthly lot
- Known Contamination: paint, plastic, iron, rubber, oil
- Expected Recovery % if you know it from past sales
- Location, loading facility and whether a weighbridge is nearby
- Clear photos of the pile and a close-up of typical pieces
If a buyer asks about recovery, our guide on checking aluminium scrap recovery explains how melt trials and spectro checks work, so you can discuss it on equal terms.
4. Get more than one quote
The real advantage of an online marketplace is comparison. On AluminumBazaar you list free, the listing stays private to you and our sourcing desk, and the desk collects offers from verified buyers such as secondary smelters, alloy makers and recyclers. Each quotation is compared on the same basis: rate per kg or MT, GST treatment, who pays freight, loading terms and payment terms. You can start from the sell aluminium scrap page or go straight to your grade, for example scrap or dross.
When you compare offers, look past the headline rate. A slightly higher rate with ex-works pickup and a long credit period may be worth less than a lower rate with advance payment and buyer-arranged transport.
5. Paperwork: GST, invoices and e-way bills
Scrap trade is taxable and buyers increasingly want clean documentation so they can claim input credit. Keep these in order:
- A valid GST registration and a proper tax invoice with the correct HSN code. Check the current GST rate and any reverse-charge or TCS rules that apply to your grade before invoicing.
- An e-way bill for movement of goods above the threshold value, generated before the truck leaves.
- Weighbridge slips at loading, and ideally at unloading too.
6. Agree on weight, quality and payment before loading
Most disputes come from things nobody wrote down. Before the vehicle arrives, agree in writing:
- Which weighbridge is final: yours, the buyer, or a neutral one
- Allowed deductions for moisture, iron and dirt, and how they will be measured
- Whether a sample or spectro check is needed, and what happens if results differ
- Payment terms: advance, against loading, or within a fixed number of days after delivery
For first-time buyers, advance or part-advance payment is common and sensible. Once a relationship builds, credit terms can follow.
7. Build a regular outlet
If your unit generates scrap every month, a steady buyer who knows your quality is worth more than chasing the highest rate each time. Consistent segregation earns you a reputation, and reputation earns you better terms. Listing a monthly quantity also helps the desk match you with recyclers who need predictable feed.
Quick checklist
- Sort by grade and remove iron and plastic
- Keep material dry and under cover
- List grade, quantity, location, photos and known contamination
- Compare quotes on rate, GST, freight and payment terms together
- Invoice correctly, generate the e-way bill and keep weighbridge slips
Ready to try? List your lot on the sell aluminium scrap page and let the desk bring quotes to you.
