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A public resource guide
Every free and paid way to get rid of scrap metal in Pittsburgh, verified October 2026.
Checked against Pittsburgh Environmental Services
2
bulk items per household per week with regular refuse, no appointment
6 a.m.
out by this time, no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before
2 tires
per resident per day, rims off, free at the Public Works division drop-offs
Every route for scrap metal in Pittsburgh, checked in October 2026 against the city’s current rules and the drop-off sites named. The full Pittsburgh guide covers every other item.
Here is how each route works in Pittsburgh, starting with the city program and ending with paid pickup.
Pittsburgh weekly bulk item pickup: scrap metal
FreeMetal items count as bulk items, and the division drop-offs take scrap metal free.
Who qualifies: Households with City of Pittsburgh refuse collection.
How to schedule: No appointment. Each dwelling may set out 2 bulk items per week with regular refuse. Excess bulky loads can be collected for a fee through 311.
Limits: 2 bulk items per household per week. Bags and bins under 35 pounds.
Set-out: Curbside after 6 p.m. the evening before and by 6 a.m. on collection day; containers back in by 10 p.m.
Public Works division drop-offs: scrap metal
FreeScrap metal accepted.
Where: East End: 6814 Hamilton Ave. Hazelwood: 40 Melanchton St. (plus the 5th Division)
How it works: City residents: curbside recyclables, yard waste, scrap metal, and up to 2 tires per day with rims removed, free. No electronics or hazardous waste.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Pittsburgh: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, covering scrap metal, furniture, appliances, and bulk household items within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Pittsburgh: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
Pittsburgh runs one of the simplest bulk pickup systems of any major U.S. city: 2 large items per household per week, on your regular trash day, no scheduling required. The trade-off is a strict 35-pound or 35-gallon limit per individual bag or bin, the official mailer compares it to the size of a medium pet food bag. Pittsburgh also runs the unusual two-Saturdays-per-year yard waste collection (April 25 and November 7, 2026 only). New for 2026: specific lid rules, remove lids from glass and plastic bottles, but leave them ON for metal cans. This page walks through every legitimate option in order from free to paid.
The Pittsburgh rule for scrap metal: Metal items count as bulk items, and the division drop-offs take scrap metal free.
Program basics: 2 bulk items per household per week. Bags and bins under 35 pounds. Curbside after 6 p.m. the evening before and by 6 a.m. on collection day; containers back in by 10 p.m.
What the city will not take: Tires, auto parts, electronics and TVs, Freon appliances, household hazardous waste, and construction debris. In 2026 the city routes electronics, chemicals, batteries, and small Freon appliances through a vendor, Noble Environmental, with pre-registration and fees.
How we checked this. The rules on this page were verified in October 2026 against: City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services: 2026 recycling and refuse mailer (bulk rules), City of Pittsburgh: Recycling drop-off locations (tires and scrap metal). Programs change; confirm fees and limits before you go.
Hazardous and regulated components in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh residents can dispose of household hazardous waste through Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) Hard-to-Recycle events held throughout the region. Several retailers also offer ongoing free recycling: Home Depot for batteries and CFL bulbs, AutoZone for motor oil and car batteries, Best Buy for electronics, and most pharmacies for unused medications. Pennsylvania’s Covered Device Recycling Act (CDRA) provides free statewide electronics recycling. The Allegheny County Health Department also runs occasional HHW collection events.
Why scrap metal are different from ordinary bulk. Most household scrap is mixed. An appliance is a steel shell around a copper motor and aluminum fins; a bike is a steel or aluminum frame with rubber and plastic. Yards accept mixed items at the steel rate, so sorting pays only if you have enough non-ferrous metal to make it worth the time. A magnet and ten minutes usually tells you.
Three mistakes that get scrap metal left at the curb:
Paid options barely exist for metal, except when the metal is attached to things that are not metal.
Mixed loads to a transfer station
$20 to $60If metal is mixed into a larger cleanout, transfer stations charge by weight for the whole load. Pull the metal out first and give it to a scrapper; it reduces the fee and keeps metal out of the landfill.
Most transfer stations have a free metal pile. Ask before you tip.
LoadUp paid scrap metal pickup
$80+For households who need same-day service, exceed 2-per-week bulk limits during cleanouts, have items the city won’t take, or live in larger apartment buildings, LoadUp offers professional removal in Pittsburgh with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
What’s included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal of your scrap metal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book scrap metal pickup in Pittsburgh with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Rules change at city limits. If you are outside Pittsburgh proper, start with the guide for your own city:
Related guides: the complete Pittsburgh junk removal guide (every item type, city services, hazardous waste, and how to report dumping) and the national scrap metal disposal guide with rules for all 117 cities we cover.
Other free removal guides for Pittsburgh: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring.
Does Pittsburgh pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes, as bulk items, or free at a division drop-off.
How much does paid scrap metal removal cost in Pittsburgh?
Through the LoadUp marketplace, a single scrap metal pickup in Pittsburgh starts around $80 to $100 with upfront pricing, and full-truck loads run $300 to $600 depending on volume. For households who need same-day service, exceed 2-per-week bulk limits during cleanouts, have items the city won’t take, or live in larger apartment buildings, LoadUp offers professional removal in Pittsburgh with upfront pricing. Independent loaders in the marketplace handle pickup, loading, and licensed disposal.
Will someone pick up scrap metal for free?
Yes. Independent scrappers in every metro collect appliances, grills, frames, and other metal from the curb free, usually the same day you post it, because they sell it by weight. Many city bulk programs also collect metal.
How much does a scrap yard pay?
Steel pays a few cents per pound; a washer or water heater might bring a few dollars. Aluminum pays several times more, and copper and brass pay the most, often a few dollars per pound. Prices change weekly with commodity markets.
How do I tell what kind of metal I have?
Use a magnet. If it sticks, the metal is ferrous (steel or iron) and pays the base rate. If it does not, it is aluminum, copper, brass, or stainless and worth sorting out. Copper is reddish, brass is yellow, aluminum is light and silver, stainless is heavy and silver.
Can I scrap a refrigerator or air conditioner?
Yes, but the refrigerant must be recovered first by a certified technician or by the yard if it has recovery equipment. Do not cut the lines. Many yards accept sealed units and recover the gas themselves; call first.
Is this Pittsburgh page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource alongside the full Pittsburgh guide. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last updated October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.