How it works, step by step
- 01
You list the lot
Photos, type of material, rough quantity and pickup address. If you do not know what the material is, a photo is enough for us to grade it.
- 02
You get the offer
At Bluegreen it arrives within 24 hours of the lot being listed, in writing and with the price itemized.
- 03
Pickup is scheduled
If you accept, a day is set. Pickup is done with our own trucks.
- 04
It is weighed
On a certified weighbridge. Net weight is gross minus tare, and every ticket is kept with a photo.
- 05
It travels with a Carta Porte
Every haul carries its CFDI with the Carta Porte 3.1 supplement1.
- 06
You get paid
By bank transfer after weighing, with the operation invoiced as a CFDI 4.0. No cash.
We buy in every state of Mexico and also assess projects abroad. If what you have is a whole structure or a vessel, the process is different: see industrial dismantling and ship recycling.
What to have ready before asking for an offer
- Photos. Close ups of the material and a shot of the whole pile, with something for scale. That is how the material and its grade are identified.
- Rough quantity. In kilos or tonnes, or in pieces and sizes. It does not have to be exact: what gets paid is the weighbridge weight.
- Address and access. Where pickup happens, whether a trailer can get in, whether there is a forklift or crane and when loading is possible.
- Tax ID and tax details. The CFDI carries the RFC tax ID, name or legal name and the postal code of the tax address2. The tax status certificate (constancia de situación fiscal) has them exactly and prevents rejected invoices.
- Where the material comes from. That the scrap comes from your process, from retired equipment or from your own works. Why this is asked is explained below.
How the price is set
The price of a lot comes from four variables you can check one by one. Bluegreen itemizes them in the offer.
| Variable | What it measures | Why it moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Material and grade | Which metal it is and which grade of the standard classification it fits | Each grade has its own market. See steel grades |
| Real net weight | Gross minus tare on a certified weighbridge, with a photo of every ticket | You are paid for what the metal weighs, not an estimate |
| Distance and access | Kilometres to destination and how easy it is to load | Freight and handling come out of the material's value |
| Weekly reference | Where the metal market stands in the week of purchase | Metals trade daily. See what moves prices |
The current reference per kilo and per tonne, with its date, is on scrap metal prices.
What lowers the price of your scrap
- Mixed metals. Every ferrous grade must be free of non ferrous metals3, and No. 2 copper must be free of brass and bronze4. A mixed lot drops a grade or has to be sorted first.
- Copper inside steel. Copper does not come out in the furnace, and too much of it makes steel crack when hot rolled5. That is why motors, cable and bronze parts are pulled out of the iron.
- Dirt, plastic, wood and rubber. Every grade must be free of foreign material3; anything that is not metal is deducted as loss.
- Oil. Turnings must come without excessive oil3. Drained, they fetch more.
- Oversized pieces. Each heavy melting grade sets a maximum piece size3. Anything bigger has to be cut.
- Insulation. Insulated cable is not paid as bare copper: it is sold on recovery or by sample4.
What is not bought
Some materials a formal buyer will not take, for safety or legal reasons. Bluegreen does not buy:
- Tanks, cylinders or pressurized containers that have not been cut open and vented.
- Containers with chemical residue, oil or fuel.
- Material suspected of being radioactive.
- Ammunition, explosives or fireworks of any kind.
- Scrap without proof of legal origin.
Radioactive sources end up in scrap when they are abandoned, lost or stolen6. In 1983, in Ciudad Juárez, a cobalt 60 radiotherapy unit was sold as scrap; the contaminated steel was melted into rebar and table legs, and it was found when a truck carrying that rebar set off a radiation alarm in the United States7. On origin: under Mexico's federal criminal code, whoever receives the proceeds of a crime without taking the precautions needed to make sure the seller could dispose of them also commits an offence, with the penalty cut by up to half8. If in doubt, send a photo before loading.
Which documents the buyer owes you
CFDI 4.0
The invoice for the operation in XML and PDF, with the exact tax details of both parties2. It is what proves the sale to the SAT, Mexico's tax authority.
Weighbridge ticket
With folio, date, gross, tare and net weight. Scales used in trade are subject to verification, and anyone affected by a weighing can ask to check the procedure910.
Carta Porte
The CFDI with the Carta Porte 3.1 supplement that covers transport on federal highways1. Moving goods without it leads to a presumption of smuggling2.
At Bluegreen all three stay in the lot file, together with the impact certificate when the lot is steel or stainless. See reports.
The VAT withholding
If the buyer is a company that buys it as an input or to resell it, it withholds 100% of the VAT charged on your invoice and pays it to the SAT1112. In practice, the payment you receive is the subtotal: the buyer withholds the VAT and pays it over. The rule covers all materials from recycling ferrous and non ferrous metals, however they are described on the CFDI13. Articles, deadlines and the other rules are on regulation.
Which materials are bought
| Material | Examples | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon steel | Plate and structural, HMS 1 and 2, sheet and offcuts, turnings, tinplate | Steel and scrap |
| Iron | Cast iron and pig iron | Steel and scrap |
| Stainless | 304, 316 and 430 | Steel and scrap |
| Copper | No. 1 and No. 2 copper, cable | Copper scrap |
| Aluminum | Extrusions, cans and radiators | Aluminum scrap |
| Bronze and brass | Valves, bushings and castings | Bronze and brass scrap |
Frequently asked questions
Where can my company sell scrap metal?
To a buyer that weighs on a weighbridge, invoices with a CFDI 4.0 and moves the load with a Carta Porte. Bluegreen buys in every state of Mexico: you list the lot and get an offer within 24 hours.
Do you pick up scrap at my plant?
Yes, with our own trucks. Distance and access are part of the price and are itemized in the offer.
How and when do I get paid?
By bank transfer, after weighing. No cash.
How do I know the weight is right?
Net weight is gross minus tare on a certified weighbridge, with a photo of every ticket. Scales used in trade are subject to verification910.
What do I need to sell scrap?
Your tax ID and tax details for the CFDI2, ideally with the tax status certificate, and the means to show the material belongs to your company.
Will VAT be withheld?
If the buyer is a company that buys it as an input or to resell it, yes: it withholds 100% of the VAT charged1112. Details are on regulation.
Do you buy mixed scrap?
It is assessed lot by lot, but it pays less than sorted scrap, because each grade must be free of other metals3.
What if I do not know what material I have?
Send a photo through the form and we will grade it.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from a third party publication. Names and logos belong to their owners and only identify the source; they do not imply endorsement.
- Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT)Complemento Carta Porte (2026)Open the publication
- Cámara de Diputados, leyes federales vigentesCódigo Fiscal de la Federación, arts. 29-A, 84 y 103 (vigente)Open the publication
- Recycled Materials Association (ReMA)ReMA's ISRI Specifications Circular, Ferrous Scrap Guidelines (FS-2023) (2026)Open the publication
- Recycled Materials Association (ReMA)ReMA's ISRI Specifications Circular, Guidelines for Nonferrous Scrap (NF-2025), Red Metals (2026)Open the publication
- Environmental Science & Technology (ACS)Daehn, Cabrera Serrenho and Allwood, How Will Copper Contamination Constrain Future Global Steel Recycling?, 51(11):6599 a 6606 (2017)Open the publication
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Radiologically Contaminated Scrap Metal (Radiation Protection, sitio archivado) (s. f.)Open the publication
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)Health Physics Historical Instrumentation Museum Collection: Contaminated Rebar from Juarez (s. f.)Open the publication
- Cámara de Diputados, leyes federales vigentesCódigo Penal Federal, art. 400, fracción I (última reforma DOF 13 de marzo de 2026) (vigente)Open the publication
- Cámara de Diputados, leyes federales vigentesLey de Infraestructura de la Calidad, arts. 119 a 123 (2020)Open the publication
- Diario Oficial de la FederaciónNOM-010-SCFI-1994, instrumentos de medición para pesar de funcionamiento no automático (1994)Open the publication
- Cámara de Diputados, leyes federales vigentesLey del Impuesto al Valor Agregado, art. 1o.-A (vigente)Open the publication
- Cámara de Diputados, leyes federales vigentesReglamento de la Ley del IVA, art. 3 (vigente)Open the publication
- Diario Oficial de la FederaciónResolución Miscelánea Fiscal para 2026 (reglas 2.7.3.5, 2.7.7.1.1 a 2.7.7.2.8, 4.1.1 y 4.1.2) (2025)Open the publication
