For the average consumer, cat recycling isn’t something they’ve thought about until they learn what their friend sold their catalytic converter for. For the average auto mechanic, it’s common knowledge that cat converters are among the most lucrative car pieces. At DMV Recycling, we’ve been buying and recycling catalytic converters in Northern Virginia for years and have heard both ends many times — “why so little?” and “oh, that much?!” — regardless of which end of the spectrum you are on, we are taking the opportunity to clarify how prices are determined for catalytic converter recycling.

Before we dive right into it, it’s important to note that because the prices for precious metals change nearly daily. If you aren’t happy with today’s price, you can watch the market and sell when prices are optimal. For the most current prices, check market prices online.

What’s Inside Your Cat Converter

The first consideration in determining how much your cat converter will sell for is what’s inside it. The value of cat converters comes from the precious metals they contain. While most catalytic converters are essentially the same, they vary in how much of each precious metal they contain, which is why you may notice a disparity between various makes and models of vehicles’ cat converter’s worth. When you search for your cat converter pricing by the VIN number, it will offer the most accurate pricing because we can accurately determine how much of each metal should be present. These valuable precious metals include platinum, palladium, rhodium, aluminum, and stainless steel.

How Much of the Metal is Recoverable

We will touch more on this in the next section, but it’s important to set the expectation at every chance — the price that you get for your catalytic converter may change based on how much of the metals are recoverable. For instance, if your cat converter is missing the honeycomb, the platinum level will be much lower, and therefore, your payout.

The Condition of the Cat

Chances are, you’re recycling your cat converter because either the entire car is being scrapped or you needed a new cat converter. Sometimes, people upgrade their catalytic converters for after-market exhaust systems and their stock catalytic converters are in great shape. Either way, harvesting the precious metals follows the same process. However, cats in better condition or those that were made in recent years will have more of the metals, making them worth more. The condition of the cat depends less on how shiny and new it is, and more on how intact it is. When you sell your cat converter to DMV Recycling, we ask you to send images of the cat converter to offer you a better estimate.

Current Market Pricing

The selling price for catalytic converters is based on the current market value of the precious metals they contain. Essentially, we have a formula that calculates the harvestable weight of each metal times the current market value. At DMV Recycling, our pricing is completely transparent, meaning before you even contact us, you can check online to see about what your cat converter is worth. We do our best to offer consistent prices, but offers will fluctuate based on the current market trends. We try to keep the cost of business minimal to offer you the best quote, keeping in mind that there is still a lot of work to be done extracting the metals. To estimate what your cat converter is worth and what you can expect to sell it for, check market prices online.

At DMV Recycling, we understand that catalytic converter recycling has been the subject of shady business practices and inconsistent pricing. While our prices may fluctuate, we offer transparency that our customers can trust. It is our integrity and fair pricing that has earned us the trust and business of many large auto dealers and scrap yards all over the east coast. To learn more about catalytic converter recycling or our other services, connect with us online, by phone, or by email. We offer the best prices in the industry and use any profits to give back to our Northern Virginia communities. Partner with DMV Recycling for your cat converter recycling today.