68% of Brits Missing Out on Scrap Metal Money

Metal recycling centre EMR carried out a survey, via YouGov, which showed only 32% of people in the UK are selling their scrap metal to merchants.

Although a lot of our scrap metal here at Singleton’s comes from trade and manufacturing, there’s a huge opportunity for more members of the public to earn some extra money from their scrap metal, which is often not a consideration outside of scrapping a car.

Recycling household metal

We’ve written before about how you can help the environment by recycling your metal at home – an important topic, as 14% of the UK’s waste is generated by households, and most metals today can be recycled over and over again. Although the Government’s Resources and Waste Strategy focuses on single-use plastics more than metals, it does discuss sustainable production and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and metal recycling does this – all while preserving natural resources.

It’s therefore good news that 65% of Brits would take their scrap metal to a recycling centre or their local council tip to get rid of it, rather than fly tipping. The metal they dispose of this way will be recycled – but they are missing out on that valuable income stream.

Barriers to getting paid for scrap metal

There are often stories in the news about prosecutions surrounding unlicensed scrap metal dealers. If anxiety about legally selling scrap metal is making you think twice about getting paid for it, check on a scrap metal merchant’s licences and accreditations, and never accept cash payments.

As EMR’s UK Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Brady, points out: “Not only do you get peace of mind that your metal is recycled efficiently, you receive money for it.”. What’s not to like?

If you have any questions about our scrap metal services, just get in touch.

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