Is it worth separating aluminium foil from other aluminium scrap given how little it weighs?
Short answer: Yes, if you can. Foil is extremely thin, so a large share of its weight oxidises and burns off as dross during remelting. Mixing foil into a bale of heavier aluminium can drag down the blended price, and many yards pay noticeably less for loose foil or won't take small quantities at all.
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List Free →Why thin gauge is the whole problem
The thinner a piece of aluminium, the more of its mass is surface area — and oxidation happens at the surface. Foil loses a much larger proportion to dross on remelt than a thick extrusion or casting does.
What “contamination” often means here
A lot of household foil also isn’t pure — it’s frequently stuck to food residue or packaging backing, adding further loss on top of the thin-gauge problem itself.
Practical takeaway
For a small amount, it often isn’t worth a special trip — many councils accept clean foil in household recycling instead. For a genuinely large volume, keep it separate from denser aluminium scrap rather than balling it in, since a buyer who spots foil mixed into a “clean aluminium” load may reprice the entire lot down.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
For a genuinely large foil volume, listing it as its own lot on ScrapTrade lets buyers who specifically handle thin-gauge material bid directly, instead of averaging it into a lower blended offer.
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