Data centre decommissioning & recycling · Sydney

Data Centre Scrap Metal Removal

When a hall is refreshed, a power or cooling system is replaced or a whole site is decommissioned, we strip, sort and remove the metal, on night shifts if the rest of the facility stays live.

Talk about your project 0403 172 170

Night & weekend crews
Certified refrigerant recovery
Licensed & insured
Reports on request

A large chiller lifted by crane onto a tray truck, with a worker in hi-vis guiding it

Cut ends of HV copper cable stacked in a skip

Itemised by gradeWeights photographed on the day

Data centre recycling

Every upgrade leaves a lot of metal behind

Data centres are built from copper, aluminium and steel, and very little of it needs to end up in landfill.

A hall refresh, a UPS replacement or a chiller swap can leave tonnes of cable, cable tray, busbar, rack steel and plant behind. Thrown into skips with general waste, that metal earns nothing and adds to your disposal costs. Sorted by grade and recycled, it pays its way and leaves a clear record of where it went.

We are a family-run metal recycler that has handled Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects, stripouts and night-shift jobs across Sydney since 2003. On a data centre job we bring the trucks, cages and bins, sort the metal into grades as it comes out, weigh each grade with photos and pay on the spot. Copper, aluminium, lead and steel each go to the right recycling stream.

Power, sub-main and HV cable
Busbar, switchboards and PDUs
Server racks, containment and cable tray
UPS cabinets and lead-acid batteries
Chillers, CRAC and CRAH units
Copper earthing and bonding

Stripped copper wire in IBC cages with an A-K Scrap Metal sticker

Scope builder

Map out what you are clearing

Tap each area of the drawing to see what we recover there, add it to your scope and send the list straight to us. It takes a minute and tells us what we need to plan trucks, bins and crews.

Tap a numbered area, or pick one below, to see what we recover there.

A chiller lifted by crane onto a tray truck

Cooling plant

Chillers and condensers
CRAC and CRAH units
Pipework, pumps and coils

Metal streamsCopperAluminiumSteel

Rooftop and plant-deck units come out by crane. Refrigerant is recovered by certified technicians before anything is cut or lifted.

Stacked steel plate and offcuts in a warehouse

Racks & containment

Server racks and cabinets (emptied of IT gear)
Hot and cold aisle containment frames
Cable management, rails and brackets

Metal streamsSteelAluminium

We take the empty steel and aluminium. Servers, drives and other data-bearing equipment stay with your IT asset disposal provider.

Bundled black single-core copper power cable

Cable tray & cabling

Power and sub-main cable
Data and communication cable
Cable tray, ladder and basket

Metal streamsCopperSteel

Cable is sorted on site into high grade, mixed and low grade, so each grade is weighed and paid on its own.

Stranded copper wire with green patina in an IBC cage

Raised floor & earthing

Underfloor power cable
Copper earth bars and bonding conductors
Floor pedestals and stringers

Metal streamsCopperSteel

Earthing and bare copper are kept apart from insulated cable because they grade higher on their own.

UPS, batteries & switchboards

UPS cabinets and lead-acid battery strings
Switchboards, PDUs and busbar
Transformers and rectifiers

Metal streamsLeadCopperAluminiumSteel

Lead-acid batteries are kept upright and handled separately from the rest of the load.

HV copper cable cut into lengths in a skip

Generators & HV

HV feeder cable and terminations
Generator sets and enclosures
Structural steel and plant frames

Metal streamsCopperAluminiumSteel

Your electrical team isolates and makes HV plant safe first. We bring the lifting gear and trucks to clear it.

Your scope

Pick the areas you are clearing

Metal streams

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The rest of the site stays live We need recycling reports

Metal streams

What comes out of a data centre, and where it goes

Each stream is weighed and paid separately, so keeping them apart on site is worth the effort.

Stream	Typical items	How we handle it
Copper cable	Power and sub-main cable, HV feeders, data and communication cable	Sorted on site into high grade, mixed and low grade, then weighed by grade
Bare copper	Earth bars, bonding conductors, busbar offcuts and stripped conductor	Kept apart from insulated cable, because it grades higher on its own
Aluminium	Busway, cable tray, coils and radiators, rack and containment parts	Separated from steel fixings where it is safe and practical to do so
Lead	Lead-acid UPS battery strings	Kept upright and handled separately from the rest of the load
Steel	Racks and cabinets, cable ladder, floor pedestals, plant frames and enclosures	Collected in cages, skips or hooklift bins; fees may apply for steel-only pickups
Cooling plant	Chillers, condensers, CRAC and CRAH units	Certified refrigerant recovery first, then crane lift and recycling of the copper, aluminium and steel

Servers, drives and other data-bearing equipment are not scrap metal. They stay with your IT asset disposal provider, and we can work alongside them on the same shutdown.

Why A-K suits data centre work

Set up for live sites and tight windows

Data centre work runs to change windows, inductions and strict access rules. We plan around them, not the other way round.

Night and weekend crews

We work 24/7 on stripouts and night shifts, so removal can happen when the rest of the facility is quiet.

The right lifting gear

Hiab trucks through to semi-trailers, plus crane lifts for rooftop chillers and heavy plant.

Cages and bins on site

Commercial wheelie bins, forklift bins, Marrell skip bins and hooklift bins, swapped as they fill.

Certified refrigerant recovery

Cooling plant is handled as on all our chiller jobs, with refrigerant recovered before anything is removed.

Weighed and itemised

Every grade is weighed on its own and photographed, so your records match what left the site.

Licensed and insured

A fully licensed and insured metal recycler, with recycling reports and certificates available on request.

How a data centre job runs

From site walk to final docket

Four steps, agreed with your project or facilities lead before the first truck arrives.

01
Site walk and scope
We walk the areas being cleared with your project or facilities lead, note access, lift points and loading dock times, and agree what comes out and in what order.
02
Program and inductions
Our crew completes your site induction and works to your change windows, permits and isolation process. Your electrical contractor makes cable and plant safe before we remove it.
03
Strip, sort and cage
Metal is separated into grades as it comes out, into cages or bins placed where they suit the site. Full bins are swapped without holding up the program.
04
Weigh, document and pay
Each grade is weighed and photographed. You are paid on the spot, and recycling reports or certificates can be supplied for your project records.

From recent jobs

Cable, copper and plant we handle

Stranded copper wire in an IBC cage with an A-K sticker

Who we work with

Built around the teams that run the job

One phone number for the scrap, whoever is managing the shutdown.

Project teams

Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders
Electrical contractors
Mechanical and HVAC contractors
Demolition and stripout crews

Facility side

Data centre operators and facility managers
Comms and server rooms in commercial buildings
Government and commercial sites
Property and strata managers

Across Sydney

Macquarie Park and North Ryde
Alexandria and the inner south
Eastern Creek and Western Sydney
Silverwater, Homebush and Artarmon

Data centre FAQs

Questions from project and facility teams

Still got a question?We're available 24/7 on the phone. 0403 172 170

Do you take servers and hard drives?

No. Servers, drives and other data-bearing equipment are not scrap metal and should go through your IT asset disposal provider so the data is handled properly. Once the racks are empty, we take the steel and aluminium.

Can you work while the rest of the data centre stays live?

Yes. We service a lot of night-shift and after-hours work, and we plan removal around your change windows, access rules and loading dock times so the rest of the facility keeps running.

Who isolates the cable and plant before you remove it?

Your electrical contractor or facility team isolates and makes cable and plant safe. We cut, sort and remove it once it has been made safe.

What happens to the refrigerant in chillers and CRAC units?

Refrigerant is recovered by certified technicians before the unit is removed, as on all of our aircon and chiller jobs. The copper, aluminium and steel are then recycled.

Do you pay for data centre scrap?

Yes. Copper cable, bare copper, aluminium and lead are paid per kg at current market rates, graded and weighed in front of you. Fees may apply for steel-only pickups, and we tell you before the job.

Can you provide documentation for sustainability reporting?

Yes. Weights are recorded and photographed by grade, and recycling reports and certificates can be provided on request.

Which areas do you cover?

All of Sydney, including data centre hubs such as Macquarie Park, Alexandria, Eastern Creek and Silverwater. Our yard is at 18 Barry Ave, Mortdale.

Book a pickup

Recycle smarter.
Earn faster.

Book a pickup and let us handle the heavy lifting.

Call or text0403 172 170
Emailadmin@akscrapmetal.com.au
Yard18 Barry Ave, Mortdale NSW 2223
HoursMon–Fri 7am–4pm · Sat 7am–2pm · Sun by appt

Data Centre Scrap Metal Removal

Every upgrade leaves a lot of metal behind