NIGP 57050: Scrap Metals, All Kinds

NIGP 57050 Scrap Metals, All Kinds is an Item code encompassing the collection, processing, and recycling of ferrous and non-ferrous metals recovered from government facilities, landfills, transit stations, and maintenance operations. State and local governments are buying on-call scrap metal pickup and hauling services, revenue-sharing recycling agreements where contractors pay municipalities a percentage of scrap sales proceeds indexed to American Metal Market pricing, and appliance and e-waste processing services. Issuing bodies span state departments (California Department of Transportation, Department of State Hospitals, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Maryland Environmental Service), counties (Sacramento, DeKalb, Clayton, Ventura), cities (Detroit, Pittsburgh, Tucson), and special districts (Marion County Public Works). The code sees active solicitation across California, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, and Oregon, with Caltrans alone issuing multiple IFBs for on-call scrap metal services at maintenance stations across three separate county regions.

Recent opportunities reflect two dominant procurement models. Revenue-sharing contracts structure the work as a percentage-bid auction where contractors submit what portion of monthly American Metal Market export pricing they will remit to the government; Caltrans issued multiple IFBs in April and July 2026 for scrap metal pickup at Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, Humboldt County, and Mendocino County maintenance stations with bids due April 28 through July 30, 2026, while the California Department of State Hospitals issued IFB #25-20080-000 for scrap metal recycling services across six facility locations with a February 25, 2026 deadline and mandatory bidders' conference. Fee-for-service contracts pay contractors per ton or per pound, as exemplified by the Maryland Environmental Service's hauling solicitation for dredged material transport (approximately 15,000 tons, bids due May 13, 2026) and the City of Detroit's RFQ for copper and aluminum removal from Public Lighting Department infrastructure with a February 10, 2026 submission deadline. Set-asides appear frequently: California's Caltrans solicitations offer 5 percent Small Business and 5 percent DVBE incentives; DeKalb County requires 20 percent LSBE subcontractor participation on a three-year steel plates supply contract; Clayton County and Maryland Environmental Service both impose MBE goals. Small Business, DVBE, and minority-owned enterprise participation incentives are standard, with dollar caps typically capped at $50,000 to $100,000 per award. Insurance requirements are consistent across jurisdictions, commonly requiring $1 million per occurrence commercial general liability, $1 million automobile liability, and workers' compensation. Most agreements prohibit subcontracting, require valid Motor Carrier Permits and California Weighmaster Licenses where applicable, and mandate response times of 24 to 72 hours for pickup requests.