What do I do with scrap metal?
Scrap metal is one of the few waste streams that actually pays you. Copper, aluminum, brass, and stainless are worth real money per pound; plain steel is worth less but is always accepted. Pacific Steel & Recycling handles Missoula's scrap market.
Step 1 — Best
Reduce
Don’t create the waste in the first place.
- •Before scrapping, check if anyone local can use the piece intact — cast-iron radiators and wrought-iron fencing have serious resale value.
Step 2 — Better
Reuse
Give it another life — donate, sell, or repurpose.
- •Old tools, cast-iron pans, and specialty hardware: Home ReSource takes useful pieces.
- •Free Cycles takes bike frames and parts for their community bike program.
- •Post vintage or architectural metal (iron gates, copper flashing) on Buy Nothing — crafters and builders will come get it.
Step 3 — Good
Recycle
Proper drop-off keeps materials in the economy.
- •Pacific Steel & Recycling (Expressway): pays by the pound; sort copper, aluminum, brass, and steel separately for best rates.
- •Car-adjacent metals (catalytic converters especially) have high and fluctuating prices — call first.
Last Resort
Heads up
Metals never go in the trash — landfills reject loads with high metal content, and Missoula County charges extra. Pacific Steel will take anything they can process.
Where to take it in Missoula
Top spots from our verified local directory. Hours and details current as of April 2026.
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Top PickHome ReSource
Top PickChanel’s tip: Home ReSource is my #1 stop for anyone renovating or decluttering building materials. Their free pickup service is a lifesaver for big loads — just text 406-880-5555 with photos. And their chemical disposal program is the ONLY legit place in Missoula to get rid of paint, solvents, and pesticides safely. Book ahead.
Still overwhelmed?
scrap metal is just one pile. If the whole house feels like this, Chanel handles the sorting, hauling, and drop-offs — across every category in this guide.
Book a Free Call →or call (406) 285-1525
Disposal information on this page is synthesized from ZERO by FIFTY Missoula’s Scrap Metal guide, a City of Missoula initiative coordinated by Home ReSource.
Clutter Free Spaces adds local overlays: live hours, community verification, and a direct path to help if you need it.