What Your Old Electronics Are Actually Worth (Scrap Value Calculator 2026)
Live commodity prices, updated 2026-04-29
Most "what is my old [device] worth" questions have two completely different answers: refurbished resale value (what a working unit fetches on eBay or Decluttr) and recoverable material value (what's inside the device that a recycler can extract). This calculator gives you the second number — the one nobody else publishes.
Today's spot prices (all values per gram, before recycler discount)
We compute scrap value at 40% of spot — the industry-standard recycler payout after processing costs. The breakdown table below shows the actual buyback amount per device.
Recoverable material value per device type
| Device type | Buyback value | Avg weight | Main metals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Servers and Network Equipment | $55.92 | 12000g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| EV and E-Bike Batteries | $51.49 | 18000g | steel, cobalt, copper, nickel |
| Washing Machines | $39.84 | 75000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Air Conditioners | $36.52 | 50000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Desktop Computers | $36.36 | 9500g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Refrigerators | $34.99 | 90000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Tumble Dryers | $29.18 | 50000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Freezers | $24.53 | 50000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Ovens and Stoves | $23.69 | 65000g | steel, copper, aluminum |
| Dishwashers | $20.65 | 35000g | steel, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Water Heaters | $19.55 | 60000g | steel, copper, aluminum |
| Solar Panels | $19.02 | 22000g | copper, silver, aluminum |
| Laptops | $17.55 | 2200g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Gaming Consoles | $15.57 | 4200g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Microwaves | $12.20 | 12000g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Dehumidifiers | $11.37 | 18000g | steel, copper, aluminum |
| Televisions | $11.19 | 14000g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Monitors | $7.09 | 5500g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Medical Devices | $6.53 | 1800g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Cameras | $6.26 | 700g | gold, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Robot Vacuums | $5.81 | 3500g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Printers | $5.10 | 8200g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| Tablets | $4.85 | 480g | gold, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Drones | $4.16 | 950g | gold, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Hard Drives and SSDs | $3.95 | 580g | gold, copper, silver, aluminum |
| Smartphones | $2.74 | 180g | gold, copper, silver, palladium |
| Routers and Modems | $2.06 | 480g | gold, copper, silver, palladium |
| Power Tools | $2.03 | 2200g | gold, steel, copper, silver |
| E-Readers | $1.99 | 195g | gold, copper, silver, palladium |
| Bluetooth Speakers | $1.87 | 950g | gold, copper, silver, palladium |
| Smart Home Devices | $1.45 | 320g | gold, copper, silver, palladium |
| Smartwatches and Wearables | $0.87 | 55g | gold, silver, palladium |
| Batteries (Household) | $0.59 | 250g | cobalt, nickel, lithium |
| Keyboards and Mice | $0.55 | 850g | gold, copper |
| Headphones and Earbuds | $0.44 | 220g | gold |
| Electric Toothbrushes | $0.26 | 195g | gold, copper |
| Cables and Chargers | $0.16 | 220g | copper |
| LED Light Bulbs | $0.10 | 60g | gold |
| USB Flash Drives | $0.07 | 18g | gold |
| Ink Cartridges | $0.01 | 95g | — |
How this is calculated
- Material composition data from peer-reviewed studies: UNEP (2009) "Recycling From E-Waste to Resources", Cucchiella et al. (2015) "Recycling of WEEEs", iFixit teardown reports, EPA Sustainable Materials Management, and Umicore Precious Metals Recovery datasheets.
- Live commodity prices pulled daily from Yahoo Finance (gold, silver, palladium, platinum, copper) and the London Metal Exchange (aluminum, steel, nickel, cobalt, lithium).
- 40% buyback discount reflects what specialised e-waste recyclers (Aurubis, Umicore, Boliden) pay to scrap collectors after processing, refining and assay costs.
Why your device may be worth more than this number
- Working condition + recent model: refurbishers (Decluttr, Gazelle, Back Market) pay 5-50x scrap value for working units they can resell.
- Trade-in programs: Apple Trade In, Samsung Trade-in, Best Buy Trade-In all offer above-scrap pricing for eligible models.
- Specialty components: enterprise-grade servers, medical equipment, broadcast cameras can have parts worth far more than scrap.
Where to actually get paid this scrap value
Local certified scrap-metal recyclers are the most likely to pay close to the calculated value, especially for bulk lots. Browse our directory:
How to maximise scrap value
- Aggregate. A single old laptop is worth $18 in scrap — but 50 laptops is $900 and worth a recycler's pickup time. Local schools, offices, and IT departments often pool e-waste.
- Don't damage the boards. Crushed circuit boards lose precious-metal recovery yield by up to 30%. Hand the device intact.
- Sort by category. Recyclers pay better when devices are pre-sorted (CRT TVs separate from flat-panels, batteries removed, etc.).
- Get multiple quotes. Buyback rates vary 20-40% between recyclers in the same city. Three quotes typically saves 25%.
FAQ
Why does my old laptop only have $17 of recoverable metal but cost $1,200 new?
Because most of the cost of a new device is intellectual property, R&D, branding, retail margin, manufacturing precision, and warranty support — not raw materials. The actual ore-and-metal cost of consumer electronics is typically 1-5% of retail price.
Can I extract the gold myself?
Technically yes (acid-leach refining processes are documented), but you almost certainly should not. The chemicals involved (aqua regia, mercury, cyanide) are extremely dangerous; the gold is in microscopic deposits requiring expert separation; and unlicensed e-waste processing is illegal in most jurisdictions. Bring devices to a certified recycler.
Why is the gold value so high relative to other metals?
Gold's spot price is around $4,693/oz (April 2026). Even though devices contain only milligrams of gold, the high per-gram price ($150+) means it's typically the largest single contributor to scrap value in modern electronics.
What about lithium-ion batteries?
EV and e-bike batteries have major value in lithium, cobalt, and nickel ($50+ per unit). Smaller batteries (smartphone, laptop) have material value of $0.50-$2 each but specialised lithium recyclers (Li-Cycle, Redwood Materials) often offer free pickup because they're refining the materials at scale.
Disclaimer
Estimates only. Actual buyback rates depend on local market conditions, current commodity prices, recycler processing capabilities, and device condition. Get a written quote from a certified recycler before relying on these figures for transactions.