Spooky season is officially upon us, the dark nights are creeping in, and it’ll soon be Halloween and Bonfire Night – the perfect time to have a clear out and sell your scrap!
While you’re clearing away the cobwebs, you might find some hidden gems. There have been a few surprising finds popping up in scrap yards across the country, one man even found paintings and sketches by LS Lowry!
If that doesn’t impress you, here are more spooky, silly, and shocking facts about scrap metal:
- Did you know that ancient civilisations learned how to separate silver from lead around 3,000BC, but humans had been melting and re-melting metals since at least 5,000BC.
- Scrap metal sticks around longer than you think. If not recycled, metals like aluminium can take up to 200 years to decompose when left in a landfill.
- Precious metals have been given as wedding anniversary gifts since the 19th century, starting with iron for a sixth anniversary, then copper, bronze, tin, aluminium, steel, and sterling silver for a 25th
- If you’re ever face-to-face with a terrifying creature, don’t panic! According to folklore, silver is thought to ward off evil beings, including werewolves, ghosts, and vampires. You might not find many of these wandering around Openshaw – but you can never be too careful.
- Silver has been mined for over 6,000 years and was one of the first five elements discovered, along with gold, copper, lead, and iron.
- Fly-tipped electronics and metal waste are often made with lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can leak into the soil and water supply.
- The price of silver hit an all-time high in October 2025 with a price of over £40 per oz.
- Recycling just one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a set of fairy lights for up to two hours!
If you have any rare finds, or just your usual scrap metal, pop into Singletons this autumn to get the best prices for your scrap, or contact us if you have any questions.
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