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Scrap Copper Prices are Tough to Determine and Change Daily from Market Conditions

in Merchant, scrap metal

scrap copper prices

Anyone who’s new to bringing scrap metal to a recycling firm may have noticed that recyclers don’t always post scrap prices online. There’s a good reason for that. It’s often difficult for them to determine the price, since metal prices fluctuate every day.

That means it’s very difficult for recycling firms to post an accurate price, which is why the prices don’t get listed on our website. Quite simply, those prices can change at any time, sometimes within minutes.

Scrap Metal Prices Vary

It’s entirely possible that a scrapper could call ahead to learn the price over the phone, only to find that price has changed by the time they get there.

So why do prices change like that? In general, there are multiple reasons why scrap prices fluctuate. For example, prices may change rapidly due to the demand for scrap. Additionally, prices are affected by the rate of production in fields like construction, technology, or electrics manufacturing. The changes can also be seasonal in nature, related to where supply and demand are.

This is particularly true for copper. It’s known that copper prices change every day. And there are numerous factors involved in determining how often the prices change.

scrap copper recycling prices

Why Do Scrap Copper Prices Change So Often?

Among the least abundant metals, copper is a valuable resource, and scrap copper prices have tended to stay high. That’s because copper can be easily recycled over and over again, with no loss in quality.

Today, about three-fourths of all copper-based products get made using recycled copper. Over the past few decades, the production and consumption of copper around the world have increased dramatically. With large developing countries playing a role in the heightened demand for mineral commodities.

Copper helps provide the critical materials needed for major construction projects, which has made copper one of the most widely recycled metals. Estimates are that a third of all copper consumed worldwide is recycled.

Economic and Political Changes Play A Role in Scrap Copper Prices

Market conditions determine price fluctuations. On March 22, 2018 copper prices fell to a three-month low because of concerns about plans by the United States to impose duties on Chinese imports. As well as the possibility of a trade war between two of the world’s largest economies.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 1.7 percent as concerns about tariffs heightened. Meanwhile, in 2021, copper prices rose by nearly 80%.

Economic conditions play a major role in how prices change. It’s not uncommon for scrap prices to change on a daily basis, including several times a day. Recycling firms must constantly check market prices to know the right price to pay at the door.

Scrap prices changing weekly is even more common, often by a few cents per pound or dollars per ton.

Copper prices are known to change every day, impacted by copper supply and demand, and copper scrap is a key component of market dynamics and price. Industrial metal prices have been on a two-year rally, but the picture has been murkier in 2018 due to the announcement by the U.S. government of tariffs being imposed on imports of steel and aluminum. Global demand for copper is currently dominated by China, and a major spike in demand from China has sent prices for copper and other commodities soaring in recent years.

And while scrap copper prices have been increasing, forecasts for future copper prices are cloudy due to the uncertainties created by U.S. economic policy.

What Are the Benefits of Recycling Scrap Copper?

It’s still important to bring your scrap copper to recycling firms like  Scrap Metal. In doing so, there are major contributions that you’re making to our environment, including the fact that recycling copper can:

  • Reduce the energy input and amount of emissions compared to when metal gets extracted from its ore.
  • Help preserve our natural resources.
  • Promote energy conservation, since far more energy is required to extract copper from copper ore, while copper recycling only uses 10 percent of the same amount of energy.

Copper ore is a very limited resource, which is why recycling copper is so important. When copper is brought to a recycler like Scrap Metal, scrap copper can eventually get inspected and graded, then melted, refined, and purified. It can then be reused for the manufacturing of new products.

scrap copper prices

The alloying properties in copper, combined with other metals like zinc or tin, are increasingly used for specialized applications. A good example is on the hulls of ships, because copper helps prevent them from corroding due to exposure to seawater. Copper is also a major product in automobiles, in connectors built into cars and trucks. More recently, semiconductor manufacturers have used copper for circuitry in silicon chips.

Recycled copper is also frequently used in:

  • building construction
  • generating power
  • the production of industrial machinery
  • wiring and plumbing for appliances
  • wiring in heating and cooling systems
  • telecommunications links

What Is Factory Decommissioning?

in Merchant

Factories, or sections of a factory, may often reach a point where their intended use is no longer valid. Therefore, they will need to be decommissioned to allow the building to be demolished, dismantled, or repurposed. It can be a highly complex procedure and means following the correct guidance and finding a business that deals with commercial metal recycling. At Morecambe Metals, we pride ourselves on our industrial dismantling and commercial metal recycling services. We can carry this out for you and your business with a safe and efficient approach. We can work with everyone from small trading estate sites to large warehouses and heavy-duty utility sites, which means no job is too big for our specialist team.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FACTORY DECOMMISSIONING?

When a building is no longer in use for the purpose it was built, it reaches an end-of-life stage, at which point the process of determining the closing procedure of the building will begin. Decommissioning ensures the building is left empty and in a safe state that will not cause harm to either the environment or the public. The building will likely go through dismantling, demolition, or repurposing following a decommission.

An empty building containing dangerous equipment or hazardous materials poses a risk to the general public, so the process must be planned and followed carefully.

PLANNING AND DEFINING THE END-STATE OF THE FACTORY

Before the decommissioning takes place, there must be on-site surveys and reviewing of all the machinery on the premises. This will cover a full dismantle and decommission, or if the building will still be partially operative during the process. In the event of the latter, it is important to identify all the building components that will still be in use as the decommissioning is carried out. The surveys will also cover extensive research of any machinery to be removed and potentially dismantled. The importance of this stage is to ensure the removal or dismantling is carried out safely and in line with the most up-to-date procedures. This process also allows the team to solidify a contingency plan for any issues.

THE PROCESS OF DECOMMISSIONING – FACTORY CLEARANCE

Once the reports and assessments have been carried out, the removal and disposal stage of the decommissioning can commence. This is where industrial dismantling companies like us come in. Our specialist staff are fully trained in the most up to date policies for health and safety, guaranteeing the correct use of personal protective equipment and the dismantling of buildings and equipment. So there is no need to worry about this yourself; hiring our team will take all the strain away from you and your business.

The first step in industrial dismantling. At this stage, a clean and decontamination of the building and equipment are carried out; doing this allows for any chemicals or contaminants to be stripped away and for the equipment to be dismantled safely and helps in the process of recycling the waste materials.

Once the clean is complete, equipment is removed from the building; if the machines are due to be relocated, they will be moved to another facility at this stage. If the equipment is scheduled for dismantling, this is carried out on site. Finally, the materials are transported to a scrap metal waste treatment facility like us to be sorted, processed and recycled.

The reports and research generated at the decommissioning stage will be referenced for each piece of equipment to ensure the machinery is taken apart and recycled safely and efficiently.

Everything You Want to Know About the Collection of Scrap Metal ♻

in Mechanical, Merchant, scrap metal

We know that people need all types of waste collections to take place to follow the UK laws in place. If your business happens to produce metal waste, we want to help you understand why collection scrap metal is an important process for your business to participate in. So, in this article, we have compiled everything you would like to know about scrap metal collection.

What is Classed As Scrap Metal For Collection?

The types of scrap metal can be any metal composition, whether it is a piece or sheet of scrap metal of any shape and size. All metal is also suitable for recycling and safe to dispose of whether it is ferrous or non-ferrous.

Perhaps you’re wondering what does ferrous and non-ferrous metal mean? What’s the difference between them? We’re here to tell you!

Ferrous Metals

This type of metal is usually magnetic and very often contains iron. They are often used in housing construction, industrial applications, or large-scale piping due to their tensile strength and durability.

Examples of Ferrous Metals

  • Cast Iron – used in a massive range of items, such as machine tools, cookware, and even water pipes.
  • Wrought Iron – unlike other ferrous metals, this resists corrosion, so it is frequently used for railings and fencing.
  • Steel – widely used in construction and manufacturing industries because of its machinability and strength.

Non-Ferrous Metals

Unlike ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals do not usually contain any iron; therefore, they aren’t magnetic. An example of what they are used in could be the aircraft industry because non-ferrous metals have the required strength with a lighter weight.

Example of Non-Ferrous Metals

  • Stainless steel – this is commonly used in cookware, medical equipment, and architecture due to its corrosion resistance and hard-wearing nature.
  • Tin – the ability to have a highly polished finish and non-corrosive nature means it is often used to coat other metal items, like food containers. It is also commonly used for soldering.
  • Copper – very ductile and malleable and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat, so it is used for electrical wiring.
  • Aluminium – can be readily welded due to its lightweight property, and it is often used in food cans, kitchen utensils, and aircraft manufacturing.
  • Nickel – resists corrosion at high temperatures, so it is used for kitchen utensils like pots and pans, rechargeable batteries, coins, water faucets, and jewelry.
  • Lead – used for soldering, batteries, and electrical power cables because of its low tensile strength and melting point.
  • Brass – it is commonly used for musical instruments, locks, gears, valves, hinges, and ammunition. This is because of the corrosive resistance and low friction properties.
  • Bronze – its low friction properties, natural lubricity, and high strength make it very versatile. It can be used for door and window hardware, marine architecture, sculpture, and creative projects because of the high quality and aesthetically pleasing finish.

Property Differences of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Scrap Metal

Corrosion

Ferrous metals have a high carbon content which makes them more susceptible to corrosion. The only exception to this would be wright iron because the iron content in it is much higher. This means it is significantly more critical to recycle ferrous scrap metal responsibly, and we can help you there! Non-ferrous metal contains no iron. Therefore, it is far more resistant to corrosion, so it is often used for roofing and gutters.

Magnetic Properties

Like previously mentioned, the main difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals is that ferrous metals are magnetic. This is what makes them so useful for use in motor and electrical manufacturing. On the other hand, a non-ferrous metal is used for actual electrical applications and wiring because of its non-magnetic properties.

Weight

Ferrous metals are heavier than non-ferrous metals. So ferrous scrap metal may require a bigger skip hire for scrap metal removal!

Cost

You may think ferrous metals have a more expensive metal price due to their weight, but it’s the opposite! Non-ferrous metals are often have a more costly metal value because they are in higher demand, so there is a lesser supply and more competitive prices.

Recycling

Both types of scrap metals can be recycled. But there are still crucial differences, mainly in the processing stage of recycling. Non-ferrous metals can be repeatedly recycled because none of their chemical properties degrade. However, ferrous metals need to be melted, purified, and compacted in the process.

As non-ferrous metal is in high demand, therefore, scarce, so they need to be recycled.

Scrap Metal Recycling for Tradespeople

in Merchant

We have many years of experience and knowledge in the scrap metal industry, so we can offer a wide range of services to a variety of businesses. If you’re a tradesperson who needs to dispose of metal or have it recycled, we can help.

SCRAP METAL COLLECTION SERVICE

We understand that, sometimes, the creation of scrap metal is inevitable, and we also know just how important it is to dispose of it correctly and follow scrap metal recycling best practices.

For this reason, we can collect your scrap metal waste, which will allow you to focus on the things that matter the most: your business’ daily running. crap collection costs will depend on the volume of material, value and logistics, though we are confident that we can provide a cost-effective service no matter what.

At your disposal, we have a large number of skips, bins and containers available for both new and existing customers (and ranging from one cubic yard battery boxes to fifty cubic yard roll on off bins). In addition, we have a flatbed wagon with a crane and an articulated wagon if you require bulk collection as well.

MANY INDUSTRIES CAN USE OUR SERVICES

We recognise that it’s not just one industry or type of business that will generate scrap metal that needs recycling. Because there is a wealth of sectors and companies that require the removal and disposal of scrap metal, we strive to provide all of them with our services and solutions. We offer both ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling services, meaning we can provide waste collection for a range of metals and materials. Our Eddy Current Separator can easily sort through shredded waste to split non-ferrous metals from other materials.

The industries we collect scrap metal for are too many to enumerate fully, but some examples are:

Plumbers

We can provide plumbers with skips for items including:

  • Copper plumbing
  • Cylinders
  • Water supply systems
  • Hot water heaters
  • Brass fittings and fixtures, including taps and piping connectors.

Our on-site ferrous metal recycling service in West Midlands, covers many materials plumbers will part ways with during renovation projects including cast iron baths, cast iron pipes and old water tanks.

Electricians

Electrical waste has its own regulations, and you have to be sure to conform to these during every job. At Scrap Metal Recycling, we can collect the following:

  • Electrical cables
  • Light fittings
  • Dead electrical motors
  • Unused copper wire.

If you are carrying out a retrofit for a job, there will be metres of old wire and fixtures that we can help with the disposal of.

Mechanics

When dealing with cars, there can be a lot of replacement parts to arrange, leading to a lot of waste. Thanks to our specialist recycling techniques, we can easily dispose of individual components of end of life vehicles (ELVs), like car batteries and alloy wheels, not to mention the frames from the cars themselves. In addition, we can recycle aluminium components, iron cables, motors and any brass parts. We are an authorised treatment facility for the depollution of ELVs, with a purpose-built depollution rig on-site. We can also act as a recycling service for any unusable parts that may need to be recycled from cars that come in for services and MOTs.

YOU (AND THE ENVIRONMENT) BENEFIT

Tradespeople can benefit from using Scrap Metal Recycling to remove obsolete, bulky scrap metal that can be hard to move without the correct equipment (or even impossible). We can take this hassle out of your hands, so you don’t need to worry about it.

The environment can also enjoy the other advantages that our services provide. After all, when recycling, you ensure the preservation of natural resources, as demand for raw materials goes down when there is enough recycled metal to use in its place. In addition, by recycling, you are helping to reduce the levels of pollution in the atmosphere, such as carbon emissions created by mining and heavy goods transportation.

How Does Scrap Metal Fit Into The Waste Hierarchy?

in Merchant

WHAT IS THE WASTE HIERARCHY?

The Waste Hierarchy is the title given to a simple ranking system of ways to reduce the environmental impact of waste. Businesses can choose from many different approaches and processes for waste management, but knowing which is the best can be difficult, which is why the hierarchy was created.

The official hierarchy was introduced in 2011 as part of several different regulation schemes. The Scottish Environmental protection act 1990, Northern Island waste regulations combined into the Waste regulations 2011 Waste Hierarchy.

Organisations and businesses must follow the hierarchy when considering their waste management schemes. It encourages companies to choose the most environmentally friendly approach and guides them to achieve this.

To enforce this, all waste transfer and consignment notes have a declaration added to them to state if the hierarchy was applied.

THE WASTE HIERARCHY EXPLAINED

As you can see from the image, the waste hierarchy works like an upside-down triangle with the best choice at the top and the worst at the bottom. The idea is that you attempt to find a waste management solution in keeping with the top choice first, in this case, prevention.

If prevention is not possible for technical, financial or logistical grounds, you move down to the next choice. You continue in this fashion until you find a waste management programme that matches one of the steps. You may be required to justify why you are using lower steps, so remember to keep accurate records of your waste management process.

Prevention

The best way to avoid harmful waste from entering the environment is to prevent it from becoming waste at all, making prevention the preferential option in the waste hierarchy. By taking steps to be leaner when designing, manufacturing, and packaging your products, you can significantly help with waste management further down the line.

This preventative measure is a great way to reduce your waste management needs and save you time and money.

Reuse

When you have waste, the hierarchy wants you to reuse as much as possible. This can be thought of as an early recycling stage where you can find ways to use items and materials again. By focusing on refurbishment and repair, you can significantly decrease your waste.

More and more single-use products are being replaced with reusable products such as personal water bottles, bags for life and travel coffee cups.

Recycling

Recycling is the best-known step in the waste hierarchy. It is the most successful part of limiting waste and its harmful effects on the environment. By recycling as much as possible, you essentially turn your trash into a new item or product.

At Scrap Metal Recycling, we have a lot of experience recycling scrap metal to be reused in other means. Our Ferrous metal processing helps contribute to the 40% of recycled steel worldwide and the 75% energy saved from steel production.

Recovery

Recovery is the best solution when the first three steps are impossible. The idea is ‘waste to energy.’ This is the process of incinerating waste to produce electricity and help reduce our need for fossil fuels. For organic materials, composting is another method of regaining energy from waste.

Disposal

The worst option and the last resort on the hierarchy is disposal or sending your waste to a landfill. Landfills are now being taxed highly by the UK government to promote more sustainable methods.

WHERE DOES SCRAP METAL FIT IN?

Each year there is a growing amount of metal in commercial waste, and end of life cars account for 4% of industrial waste. There are strict regulations for disposing of vehicles in an environmentally friendly way.

End of Life Vehicle recycling is a vital process to reduce the environmental impact of waste. For example, the average car contains 65% steel and iron, and 25% can be recycled steel. Scrap Metal Recycling is an official ATF (or authorised treatment facility). We specialise in providing the eco-friendly service of proper car disposal. Our comprehensive car scrapping service takes the discarded vehicle, deregisters it and applies a certificate of destruction before finally removing all the reusable assets from it.

Scrap Metal Recycling does more than just recycle unwanted cars; we pride ourselves on our scrap metal collection services. We offer a service that is dedicated to creating a cleaner future. As a scrap metal buyer, we can take clients scrap metal and recycle it in accordance with steps 2 and 3 of the waste hierarchy.

Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time. The mining of metal ore and the transportation and refining processes create an abundance of greenhouse gases that harm the environment. Recycling scrap metal helps to tackle these destructive processes. Find out more in our article on how scrap metal recycling reduces greenhouse gases.

PROFESSIONAL SCRAP METAL RECOVERY

Why do Scrap Metal Prices Fluctuate?

in Energy, Merchant

Lately, the scrap metal industry has been experiencing low prices. It is no surprise that scrap metal prices fluctuate, and this has been a source of frustration for those looking to recycle scrap metal. The price of scrap metal is affected by a multitude of variables, with some pulling up on the price while others pull down at the same time. The calculation of all these variables to determine their effects on the price of scrap is complicated, but we have simplified these effects so you can have a better understanding of why these prices change and when the best time to scrap is.

Metal Supply and Demand

The economic laws of supply and demand rule the scrap metal industry. If demand is high, then prices will increase. For example, during a housing boom, the demand for copper increases, thus causing an increase in its price. When the demand for metal is low, prices will also be low. This is often the case when we are experiencing a housing bust or a recession.

The supply of metal also impacts scrap prices. Some metals are more common than others, meaning there is a larger supply of them in the market. Because these metals are easy to find, their prices are low. For example, there is an abundance of aluminum, so the price of aluminum scrap is much lower than the price of more rare metals such as gold or copper. When supply is low, prices are high because the metal is more difficult to find. Keep this in mind when you are thinking about selling scrap. The ideal time to sell is when the supply of metal is low or when the demand is high because this is when the prices will be highest.

The Price of Virgin Metals

The price of scrap metal is closely tied to the price of virgin metal. Scrap metal prices increase when virgin metal prices increase. This is because when the prices of virgin metals increase, manufacturers look to use scrap metal instead due to its lower production costs. This increased desire for scrap metal causes its price to go up, following the law of demand mentioned above. The market for scrap metal follows the same trends as the market for virgin metal because it is a substitute product. People would rather buy scrap metal than virgin metal when prices are high because, even though the price of scrap will be higher, it is still cheaper than the price of virgin metal. Individuals who want to sell scrap metal will benefit because scrap metal recyclers are able to pay them more for their scrap when there is a greater need for it. If you want to sell your scrap metal when prices are high, watch the trends of the virgin metals markets.

Importation Costs

Scrap metal recycling is a major business in the United States and in other countries. The US imports metals from other countries, and many US scrap recyclers will ship their scrap to other countries to have it melted down and processed before having it shipped back to sell to manufacturers. The costs of importing metal from other countries greatly affects scrap metal prices in the US. When importation costs are high, manufacturers may seek out domestic sources of metal. This can cause the price of scrap metal in the US to increase because the domestic demand is higher. On the flip side, if importation costs are low, then scrap prices may decrease. Metal tariffs affect scrap metal prices because they can cause importation costs to increase or dissuade other countries from shipping metal to the US.

The economies of foreign countries also affect importation costs and the demand for scrap metal. China is one of the biggest influencers of the scrap metal industry. The Chinese market, along with other Asian markets, has recently been experiencing a drop in its economy. This means they are not contributing to the worldwide metal market as much as they have in the past, which has disrupted the scrap metal industry in the US as well.

Fuel Prices

Fuel prices are the greatest influence on scrap metal prices. When the price of fuel goes up, so does the price of scrap. This is because the process of recycling metal is so dependent on fuel usage. Fuel is used to heat metals to melt them down and to make different products. The high heat needed to heat metals can be produced from coal, natural gas, or electricity. When the costs of these go up, so does the cost of metal. Gas prices also affect the cost of transporting scrap metal and metal products. The higher the transportation costs, the higher the cost of metal. The opposite is also true. When fuel prices are low, so are scrap metal prices. When considering selling scrap metal, pay close attention to fuel prices to know when the best time to sell is.

7 BENEFITS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE RECYCLING REUSE

in Merchant

Recycling seems to be getting more and more popular among individuals. You can observe many people changing their daily habits in order to help minimize the damage to the Earth’s climate. However, when taking a closer look at the workplaces, there is still potential to do better and improve their impact on the environment.

Almost all industrial processes produce a significant amount of waste, and much of it can be saved, recycled and reused. Industrial waste recycling is an opportunity for you to improve your waste management program. Here are the top seven benefits that you will observe, once you have introduced industrial recycling to your company. 

WHAT IS INDUSTRIAL RECYCLING?

Industrial recycling is a subcategory of recycling, and it promises a lot of benefits of waste management for factories. Typically, it involves recycling the waste that’s generated from industrial activities (most commonly from manufacturing). In manufacturing, in particular, there can be quite a bit of metal waste. Recycling ensures that this metal doesn’t go to a dump, but rather, it can be turned into another, new product.

COSTS REDUCTION

There are high costs associated with getting rid of unused materials as well as commercial by-products. Finding a way to give a second life to industrial reusable materials, will help you decrease significantly the utility bill. If you wish to reuse waste and make a profit while doing so, it is recommended that you contact a professional waste management company, like the Wembley Scrap Yard, for example.

INCREASED EFFICIENCY

When waste is not properly taken care of, you will most probably run into issues in the future that require spending a lot of time and money to resolve. When you introduce industrial materials recycling practices, you can manage your business more efficiently and allocate resources to future development rather than utilization.

REDUCING POLLUTION

Less industrial waste also puts a smaller strain on landfills, allowing that land to be used for other purposes. This way, you can contribute to a reduction of the greenhouse emissions and other pollution that originate as waste in landfills break down.

ECOLOGICAL BRANDING

These days, people are more and more aware of the negative impact of our current way of life on the environment. Many of them strive to embrace change and look carefully into the procedures of the companies they support and buy from. Proper waste management should help you become an eco brand and remain in good graces with your current and future clients and partners.

SAVING ENERGY AND RESOURCES

When it comes to the benefits of industrial waste management, the most important fact is that you are putting less strain on the environment’s resources by finding different ways to reuse or recycle waste. When industrial waste materials and by-products are recycled and reused, you will observe a decrease in the need to produce new raw materials.

INCREASING YOUR COMPANY’S OVERALL VALUE

If your factory implements eco programs and processes, like a zero-waste initiative or the industrial recycling program, it may become eligible for certain certifications or tax reliefs. Apart from saving your company money and helping you improve the sustainability factor, industrial waste recycling and reuse make your company more valuable in the eyes of customers and investors.

Preparing Scrap Metal for Sale

in Merchant

MAKE MORE MONEY FROM SCRAP!

Disposing of your scrap is not a good idea! You should know that when you do that, you are throwing out potential money. If you didn’t already know that, it would be best you had it in mind that you could sell scrap metal and earn from it!

Meanwhile, maximizing the best out of scrap takes little more knowledge than just selling them to scrap yards. You can make more when you prepare and sort scrap before selling them. And to do this, there are a few things you need to look out for. Not all scrap is of the same worth. This post will highlight some helpful tips to guide you in preparing your scrap materials for sale.

PREPARING SCRAP METAL- 3 USEFUL TIPS!

Here, let’s talk about how to prepare scrap for sale before taking it to the scrapyards;

The first step before taking metals for recycling knows what types of metal it belongs to. If you already scrap and sell metal, you should have observed that some metals look and feel different in appearance and weight. This is because all metals are not the same.

Ferrous metals contain carbon, iron, and other alloys. Some ferrous metals include steel, chippings, and iron shavings. Meanwhile, non-ferrous metals have different compositions, and they include brass, aluminum, brass, and copper.

There is a simple test to differentiate them between these, and this is called the Magnet test. Using a large magnet, you can sort out these metals before scrapping or recycling them. When your metal attracts to the magnet, it is a ferrous metal. They are usually lighter. In contrast, non-ferrous metals do not attract the magnet. They are heavier in weight and are more valuable than its counterpart.

When scrapping, you should look out for non-ferrous metals because that’s where the wealth lies. And knowing its worth will ensure that you aren’t cheated when you take it to a scrapyard.

Before taking the materials to scrap yard or any scrap yard, you should take time to clean them. You should remove the insulation, superfluous, and other debris that may have coated the metals. This increases the chance of your scrap being accepted at the scrap yard.

To clean the metals, you can get a metal spray cleaner or use the immersion technique. This will be dependent on the type of metal you have. Also, after cleaning or removing the coatings of metals (especially copper), it might lose some weight than it originally had. So, it’s best to estimate your scrap after cleaning them thoroughly.

The price of scrap is constantly fluctuating. Before scrapping, you should estimate the current money for scrap metal you could get. Knowing the market will enable you to understand how frequently it changes and the fluctuations in prices for each type of metal. Scrap metal prices correlate to local demand, as well as local quantity.

MANUFACTURING WASTE MANAGEMENT TIPS

in Contruction, Merchant

In order to reduce waste and increase the recycling rates of valuable materials such as metals, it’s important to tackle the problem of waste in manufacturing. Our economy is based on consumption, and we’re constantly encouraged to buy more new products. Unfortunately, ineffective manufacturing processes can often lead to wasted materials and, in effect, a growing number of landfills. The environmental impact of this issue simply cannot be ignored. Luckily, with the right waste management systems in place, manufacturing companies can significantly reduce waste while saving money and becoming more environmentally friendly at the same time.

CREATE YOUR NEW MANUFACTURING WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

When it comes to your business operations, you cannot make effective changes without creating a detailed plan based on research and factual information. Otherwise, you may end up implementing solutions that will unnecessarily complicate the production process and make work more difficult for your employees. Consider the causes of production waste, solutions that can help you avoid them, and the most efficient ways to introduce new waste management practices within your company.

REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE GENERATED BY YOUR COMPANY

  • Keep track of your stock. Compare the amount of materials you order and keep in stock with the amount of materials your company actually requires to carry out the production. Try optimising the use of materials and ensure proper storage conditions to prevent damages.
  • Streamline your production line. By providing your employees with professional training and equipping them with advanced tools, you can limit waste resulting from human errors and ineffective practices.
  • Switch to recyclables. Instead of focusing solely on the amount of waste, pay attention to the type of materials you’re throwing away as well. Whenever possible, try implementing recyclable alternatives.

REUSE, SELL AND RECYCLE

Instead of letting valuable materials and items, e.g., metal cans and containers, batteries, old office equipment and manufacturing tools, end up in landfills, look for other ways of disposing of them. If you cannot find any other use for them in your own company, look for people interested in buying second-hand equipment. Electronic devices contain various metals, including rare and valuable ones, that can be recycled and reused again in the manufacturing process. By sorting your waste into separate categories based on their recycling potential, you can ensure that your manufacturing waste is processed most effectively and safely.

DOES SCRAP METAL PRICING FLUCTUATE?

in Contruction, Engineering, Merchant

Trading in old scrap metal has become more and more popular in recent times, as metal prices are on a rise and along with the eco-trend, this industry is becoming more profitable by the minute. Because the industry in itself is rapidly changing, understanding the relationship between price and demand is crucial to achieving long-term success. How does scrap metal pricing fluctuate? What are the signs you should look out for? Let’s find out.

WHY DO SCRAP PRICES FLUCTUATE?

The most simple answer to the current value of scrap metal is the law of supply and demand. To be more specific, though, typically there is one major reason behind the availability of materials and the resulting price, and it is not availability. It is the shortage of labour and transportation prices that have the biggest impact on the market. The quantity of metals hasn’t deviated tremendously in recent times, but other factors impact their prices. Scrap prices tend to have a strong effect on the cost of materials, both new and recycled because when and where you put it back into circulation it helps keep the cost of metals down.

HOW BIG ARE THE PRICE SHIFTS? 

Generally speaking, prices for scrap metal are constantly shifting, often on a weekly, and sometimes even daily, basis. However, these everyday fluctuations are not significant, usually only a matter of a few pounds per ton. When it comes to significant scrap metal price change, you should think seasonally, rather than daily. If you’re dealing with a few broken-down appliances at your home, the price shifts might not make much difference, but if you’re dealing with tons of scrap metal, it’s worth it to keep a close eye on the metal market.

Why are the scrap metal prices going up? Price shifts when it comes to scrap metal are interconnected with metal prices, the lower the supply, the higher the demand for recycled scrap metal. Any significant changes in the global market will impact scrap metal pricing. Currently, we are in the middle of the metal prices boom, and selling scrap metal has become more profitable than ever, as we observe one of the biggest price shifts in recent years.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT SCRAP METAL PRICES

Scrap metal prices are a bit of a balancing act. Here are the most important factors that affect scrap metal prices: 

  • a large number of construction projects, where recycled scrap metal is commonly used,
  • manufacturing demand, for example, digitalisation increases the demand for aluminium, 
  • how much metal is already out there in the market – do companies/countries have huge amounts of scrap metal stockpiled?
  • the cost and efficiency of transportation, 
  • the labour market within the metal industry.

You can observe and analyse those prices yourself, but you can also ask for help from a local metal recycling company.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SCRAP METAL PRICES? 

As with any sort of resale, getting the best deal for your scrap metal is all about timing. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the price shifts were and are significant, mostly due to transportation delays. Anytime there is a significant shortage of drivers is when scrap metal prices go up.

At the moment, there is a massive shift in the price of scrap metal, thanks to the pandemic. The changes are more significant, and if you keep your timing right, you can gain a lot by trading scrap metal. The real estate industry needs materials to build and complete their projects, and the market simply can’t satisfy the demand with ongoing transportation issues. Now, might be the best time to sell scrap metal. To get the optimal scrap metal price, it really does benefit you to shop around and find the scrap metal yard that will consistently give you the best offer when compared to other local competitors.