Short answer: Stainless steel contains chromium and, in the 300 series, a significant amount of nickel, both of which are valuable alloying elements that the mill can recover and reuse, so stainless is worth many times the price of ordinary steel per kilogram, which is why mixing a small amount of stainless with mild steel wastes its value.
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List Free →Alloying elements
Chromium and nickel make stainless corrosion resistant and are worth recovering.
The price gap
Stainless can be worth many times the price of mild steel.
Mixing loses value
Stainless in a steel pile is paid as steel, so you lose the difference.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade shows stainless prices separately from steel, so you can see the gap.
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