Metals

The metals recycling sector has traditionally been one of the most important recycling industries, with an estimated turnover of about £5.6 billion a year.

  • Please scroll down below or use the links to the left to see our monthly scrap metal price indicators. 
  • The Metal Prices Archive gives information dating back to 2000.

letsrecycle.com provides a monthly guide to scrap metal prices in the sector, drawing on input from a range of businesses in the scrap metal recycling industry.

The sector's trade organisation, the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), estimates that, in 2006, it recovered 15 million tonnes of material, and metal recovered in the UK is used as a raw material both domestically and overseas.

Scrap metal come in two forms; ferrous - steel and iron - which includes steel packaging such as food cans, and non-ferrous - such as copper, brass, aluminium and zinc - which includes the majority of drinks cans.

It also comes from a variety of sources, and as a result metal recyclers have had a key role in helping the UK to work towards a number of European recycling targets, including the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and the Batteries Directive.

However, despite the metal recycling sector's size and value, and a concerted period of high prices for recovered metals in recent years, the sector suffered from the market downturn experienced throughout the recycling industry in late 2008. Since then the market has been volatile with price reductions again in the first part of 2012 followed by a limited summer revival in scrap metal prices.

Ferrous Metal Prices 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
0A plate & girder 170 - 180 180 - 185 180 - 190 175 - 185
No 1 old steel scrap 165 - 170 170 - 175 175 - 180 170 - 175
No 2 old steel scrap 145 - 150 155 - 160 165 - 170 160 - 165
4A low residual bales 170 - 180 180 - 190 185 - 195 180 - 190
4C new production bales 170 - 180 175 - 180 185 - 190 175 - 185
light iron 130 - 140 130 - 140 135 - 150 125 - 140
7B mixed steel turnings 125 - 130 130 - 135 135 - 140 130 - 140
8B mixed steel cuttings 160 - 165 165 - 170 170 - 180 165 - 175
9 - 10 cast 145 - 150 155 - 160 160 - 170 155 - 165
11 cast iron borings 120 - 135 125 - 135 135 - 145 130 - 140
Cars 125 - 140 125 - 140 140 - 145 130 - 145
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0A plate & girder
No 1 old steel scrap
No 2 old steel scrap
4A low residual bales
4C new production bales
light iron
7B mixed steel turnings
8B mixed steel cuttings
9 - 10 cast
11 cast iron borings
Cars

Prices chart

Prices chart

Prices chart

Non-ferrous metal prices 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Dry bright wire 4200 4300 4400 4300 4000
Heavy copper 3900 4000 4100 3900 3600
No 2 copper wire 3700 3800 3900 3800 3500
Braziery copper 3400 3500 3500 3400 3100
Insulated copper cable 1500 1500 1500 1400 1300
Brass cuttings 2600 2600 2600 2600 2400
Brass swarf 2400 2400 2400 2300 2100
Brass and copper radiators 2200 2200 2200 2200 2000
Mixed brass 2400 2400 2400 2400 2200
Heavy brass 2500 2500 2500 2500 2300
Gunmetal 2800 2800 2800 2700 2500
Pure aluminium cuttings 800 800 850 850 850
Aluminium cuttings 800 800 850 850 850
Old rolled aluminium 700 730 750 750 700
Clean cast aluminium 800 830 850 850 800
Aluminium turnings 500 550 550 550 500
Aluminium foil 250 250 250 250 250
Lead scrap 950 1000 1050 1000 900
Batteries 450 500 520 450 430
Zinc mixed scrap 500 500 520 520 520
Zinc cuttings 500 500 520 520 520
18:8 stainless steel solids 850 900 900 900 800
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Dry bright wire
Heavy copper
No 2 copper wire
Braziery copper
Insulated copper cable
Brass cuttings
Brass swarf
Brass and copper radiators
Mixed brass
Heavy brass
Gunmetal
Pure aluminium cuttings
Aluminium cuttings
Old rolled aluminium
Clean cast aluminium
Aluminium turnings
Aluminium foil
Lead scrap
Batteries
Zinc mixed scrap
Zinc cuttings
18:8 stainless steel solids

Prices chart

Prices chart

Aluminium Can Prices 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
baled or densified and strapped 680 - 710 760 - 790 760 - 790 765 - 790
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
baled or densified and strapped

Prices chart

Steel Can Prices 2013

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
steel cans ('ex-works' - excluding delivery) 125 - 135 145 - 155 150 - 160 140 - 155
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
steel cans ('ex-works' - excluding delivery)

Prices chart
wastepack