Are you looking to recycle and salvage your scrap metal? In this blog, you’ll find everything you need to know about recycling your scrap metal in England, legally.
In summary, here are the 5 steps you need to take to sell your scrap metal legally in the UK.
1. Identify the type of metal you have – is it copper, aluminium, brass, stainless steel, or something else?
2. Find your metal’s scrap worth – Research prices on Google for your scrap metal
3. Find a local scrap yard and agree on a price – Research scrap merchants on Google
4. Arrange a convenient time to drop off your metal, or have it collected (depending on the quantity)
5. Get paid for your metal (Don’t accept cash!)
Identify your metal
First things first, before selling your scrap metal, you need to identify what type of metal you have. It’s important to know the type of metal you have because different metals have different values and can be sold for different prices. Common types of scrap metal include copper, aluminium, brass, stainless steel, and iron.
If you know what type of metal you have, you’re one step ahead. If you’re unsure about what type of metal is in your possession, get in touch with us and a member of our team can help you identify it over the phone, or via email.
If it helps, here are some of the common types of scrap metal and where they are typically found:
- Steel: Steel is the most commonly recycled metal and is often found in appliances, cars, and construction materials.
- Aluminium: Aluminium is lightweight and durable, making it a popular choice for beverage cans, construction materials, and vehicle parts.
- Copper: Copper is a valuable metal and is often found in electrical wiring, plumbing, and HVAC systems.
- Brass: Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is commonly found in plumbing fixtures, keys, and musical instruments.
- Lead: Lead is a heavy metal that is often found in batteries, pipes, and weights.
- Stainless steel: Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant and is commonly found in appliances, cutlery, and industrial equipment.
- Iron: Iron is a strong metal and is commonly found in appliances, construction materials, and machinery.
- Zinc: Zinc is commonly found in batteries, roofing materials, and galvanized steel.
- Nickel: Nickel is often found in stainless steel, batteries, and electronic components.
- Titanium: Titanium is a strong and lightweight metal that is commonly found in aerospace and medical industries.
Research your metal’s worth
Once you have identified the type of metal you have, it’s time to research how much it is worth.
It’s important to know that the value of scrap metal in England varies depending on the type of metal, quantity, quality, and market conditions. The price of scrap metal is determined by supply and demand, which can fluctuate over time.
At London Metal Recycling – we regularly update our scrap metal prices and make it clear to all of our customers. Head over to our scrap metal page to view all of our up-to-date prices and get an idea of what your scrap metal is worth!
Find a local scrap metal yard and agree on a price
It’s important to deal with reputable and licensed scrap dealers or metal recyclers to ensure that you are complying with the law and receiving fair payment for your scrap metal.
You can find a local scrap metal yard on Google and get in touch with them to agree on a price for your scrap metal.
At London Metal Recycling, our scrap yard in Wembley, London, is an authorised treatment facility. We’ve been operating as a scrap metal merchant and have been safely dismantling salvaged vehicles and scrap metal for over 40 years. If you have scrap metal to sell, we can help you – get in touch with us to learn more.
Drop off or get your metal collected
Arrange a convenient time to drop your scrap metal off at the scrap yard. Alternatively, ask your chosen merchant if they will collect your scrap metal
Often, most scrap metal yards offer pick-up services for large amounts of scrap metal. At London Metal Recycling, we offer scrap metal collection services across Wembley, London, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Get paid (Don’t accept cash for your metal!)
Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, it is illegal for anyone to buy or sell scrap metal for cash. This means that if you want to sell your scrap metal, you will need to provide identification and receive payment by bank transfer, cheque or other electronic payment methods.
There are some exemptions to this rule, such as if you are selling scrap metal to a dealer who operates as a mobile collector, or if you are selling to a dealer who is buying from you as a business. However, in most cases, you will need to provide identification and receive payment by electronic means.
At London Metal Recycling, once the price is agreed and the metal has been weighed, we’ll send you your money via bank transfer.
The benefits of recycling your scrap metal:
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably thinking about scrapping your metal. If that’s the case, that’s great news. We want to emphasise the importance and the benefits of scrapping metal safely and responsibly:
Environmental benefits: Scrap metal recycling reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and conserves natural resources, such as iron ore and coal, that are used in the production of new metal products. Recycling metal also saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of new metals.
Economic benefits: Scrap metal recycling is a significant industry that generates jobs and income. By selling scrap metal, individuals and businesses can earn money and reduce disposal costs. Recycling also creates a demand for recycled metal, which can drive down the cost of metal products.
Conservation of resources: Recycling scrap metal helps to preserve natural resources, including energy and water. It is estimated that recycling one ton of steel conserves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone.
Energy savings: Recycling metal requires less energy than producing new metal products. For example, recycling aluminum requires 95% less energy than producing new aluminum from raw materials.
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: Recycling metal reduces greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding the energy-intensive process of mining and refining new metal ores.
Overall, scrap metal recycling offers environmental, economic, and resource conservation benefits that make it an important component of sustainable waste management practices.