The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 brought in a lot of changes to the way we deal with scrap metal in the UK. The main changes were around licenses, making it much more difficult for people to act as scrap metal dealers with stricter laws around applying for and displaying all of your documentation properly. Other changes included no longer being able to buy scrap metal for cash – all things that made it more difficult to do business.
But it was introduced with good reason. Metal theft has always been a serious problem across the UK and Europe, and the costs for businesses affected are huge. Firstly, there’s the cost of the stolen material, but the main cost is usually down to the damage caused while removing it – it can be as much as 50 times the cost of the materials themselves!
Since the act came in, instances of metal theft in the UK have fallen by 74%, down from 44,885 reported cases in 2012/13 to 11,747 in 2015/16.
The laws are very strict – you can get hefty fines even for just collecting scrap metal for free without a license,like in this case in Lincoln. But for scrap metal dealers who do things properly, the act actually has a lot of benefits.
First of all, it’s reduced competition from unscrupulous dealers who are breaking the law, encouraging and buying stolen materials, or from your everyday man-with-van who would formerly collect bits and pieces in their area for free, without having a license. It’s also helping to ensure dealers who do things properly aren’t unknowingly aiding crimes by reducing the amount of stolen materials out there.
The act is helping to ensure that you can deal responsibly, and that you aren’t aiding criminals operating in your community. This is a really important point for Singletons, as we’re very much invested in our local community here in Manchester!
And, of course, with so many illegal dealers no longer operating, there is greatly improved trust in those of us that have our licenses displayed properly – like Singletons.
We’re fully licensed, a member of the British Metal Recycling Association, and an Authorised Treatment Centre for scrap cars. We also work with the British Transport Police to help reduce metal theft across Manchester’s extensive rail network.
We do not, under any circumstances, buy stolen metal, and will report it to the police. For more information on what we won’t buy, click here.
However, if you do have legal scrap metal to sell, going to a trusted dealer is a great way to make some extra cash. We’ve got loads of advice on selling your scrap metal on our blog – from how to get the best price to the practical aspects of bringing it down to us.
If you would like a quote for your scrap metal, then please feel free to give us a call on 0161 220 8058 or drop by our scrapyard on Wolverton Street in Manchester. We can’t pay cash, of course, but we do make instant electronic payments, so there’s no trip to the bank or waiting for a cheque to clear required.
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