UK scrap metal prices depend on interactions between a variety of global and local forces, including supply and demand, seasonality, economic conditions and a particular scrap dealer's costs.

Ahead of the 2026 Complete Auto Recycling Show (CARS), we'll cover what governs these values, how they change throughout the year, and where to check the latest figures. We also explain the gap between the market (spot) price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and what you're paid.

The right timing — knowing when to sell — and the ability to find reliable market information can give you an edge that maximises your profits across every load. 

>>MORE: Register for free tickets to CARS today.

Understanding Scrap Metal Prices

Scrap metal price is the amount a merchant or dealer will pay per kilo or tonne for a given metal.

When deciding on their offer, dealers usually refer to global metal prices, including those listed on commodity exchanges like the LME, as well as what mills are paying for ferrous.

These benchmarks represent the value of refined metals and set the ceiling value for scrap. From these, the merchant deducts costs such as sorting and grading, transportation, storage and margin. The amount left over becomes the scrap metal price.  

Scrap metal categories

Scrap metal can be classified into two types: ferrous and non-ferrous. Rebar, mixed tool steel and hot-rolled coil are ferrous metal grades — metals that contain iron — and command different prices. Non-ferrous metals contain no iron: brass, aluminium, copper and more. These, too, are divided into separate grades, such as aluminium cans or mixed brass.

Non-ferrous metals generally command higher scrap prices than ferrous metals. This is because iron is far more common than other metals like copper, both in nature and in the built environment.

Non-ferrous materials are also costlier to produce. For example, producing aluminium is far more energy-intensive than producing iron.

On top of that, non-ferrous metals are vital to modern technology and in high demand, which further increases their value.

UK Scrap Metal Prices Today

The prices of UK scrap metals today will likely differ from yesterday's and tomorrow's. Live prices also vary by region, metal grade and dealer.

To give you an idea of what these prices and fluctuations look like, here are the ranges for scrap metal prices over the past few months and the spot prices as of 8 July 2026. 

Metal	Common grades	LME spot (£ per kg, refined)1	Indicative UK yard price (£ per kg)2
Non-ferrous (Prices benchmarked to LME contracts, directly or via component materials)
Copper	Bright/braziery	9.90	8.00–9.00 / 4.00–7.40
Brass	Clean/mixed	Tracks copper + zinc prices	4.00 / 2.50–4.60
Aluminium	Clean/mixed	2.30	1.30–1.50 / 0.70–1.05
Lead	Clean/scrap pipes, wheel weights, etc.	1.37	1.70 / 1.00
Stainless steel (contains nickel/chrome, so grouped with non-ferrous)	316/304	Tracks nickel price; Nickel equals 12.07	1.20 / 0.40–1.10
Ferrous (Prices follow mill + export demand)
Steel		N/A	0.05–0.25
Cast iron		N/A	0.05–0.25
Shredded scrap	Processed, mixed	N/A	0.10–0.30

 

1. Spot prices are LME cash settlements for refined metal as of 23 July 2026, converted from USD per tonne, where £1 = $1.35. Brass, stainless steel, and ferrous metals have no direct LME contract. Prices may change daily. See the "Where to Track" section for a link to live figures of refined metal cash settlements. 

2. Indicative ranges of recent scrap metal prices compiled from UK dealer price lists in July 2026. Prices may change daily. See the "Where to Track" section for current prices. 

How Are UK Scrap Metal Prices Set? 

The global market gives a starting point for the price a dealer will pay for scrap. However, their offer is based on several other factors, including the type of metal, the cost of making it usable and a yard's market outlook. 

Supply and demand

The value of scrap metal is heavily influenced by the amount of the material on the open market versus what's needed in the industry. 

Supply is based on the scarcity of the metal's raw source (ore), the cost of production and the quantities already circulating. Recyclable metals are sourced from demolition, old wires and cables, scrapped vehicles and other places.

Meanwhile, demand rises and falls based on economic activity, including booms and busts, and the type of metal needed by the industry. 

Global benchmark (LME)

Refined metal prices represent the ceiling for some metals. From this, dealers deduct their costs to determine the weighbridge price. For alloyed metals without an LME price, such as brass, dealers track the price of their components (for brass, it's chiefly copper). Prices of ferrous metals follow UK mill prices and export demand.

Quality considerations and processing 

Scrap metal is rarely pure. Metal is generally specified for its original use, often alloyed with other elements. So metal content in scrap varies, and a dealer will pay more for, say, a clean aluminium sheet than a mixed load. Before metals can re-enter the economy, they must be sorted, separated, melted and refined. The more processing a grade needs before being resold, the lower the price a dealer will offer. 

Transportation and logistics 

Most UK scrap ends up overseas, so the distance of the yard from the nearest port has a large impact on prices. For example, a longer distance increases freight costs and lowers the price. The cost of fuel compounds this. And a dealer will pay less for a small load because it costs the same amount to handle as a large one, but yields less material. 

Dealer choices 

Two dealers may offer different prices for the same load based on their yard running costs, their networks of buyers, and their views of where the market is headed.

What Drives Scrap Metal Price Fluctuations? 

The factors above affect how metal prices are set. But other forces can quickly change the price of scrap. Here are the most common ones. 

• Currency/exchange rates. Metals trade in dollars, so a weaker pound makes metals cheaper on the global market, driving demand and lifting scrap prices. When the pound rises in value, scrap prices fall.
• Energy costs. Processing scrap metal is energy-intensive. When energy costs are higher, processors' margins shrink, so they tend to pay dealers less. But when energy is expensive, it also drives up the cost of smelting metals from ore, which consumes a lot of energy, making the recycling market more competitive. The direction in which prices ultimately move depends on the metal being traded and market conditions.
• Geopolitical events and trade policy. Trade wars, sanctions and armed conflicts can quickly shift material routes, changing prices within days. Because most UK scrap metal is exported, when a destination country introduces restrictions such as import controls or shipping rules, the price of scrap can quickly fall.
• Seasonal demand patterns. During colder months, construction slows, and demand for ferrous metals falls. Lower output from some European factories in August and December has the same effect as holiday shutdowns of some industrial consumers.
• Industry shifts. The general economic environment influences the supply and demand of materials. Wider adoption of new technologies, including EVs and renewables, has driven demand for metals like copper, aluminium, lead and nickel.
• Regulatory developments. Policy changes can add friction and cost to the metals trade. For example, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act banned cash payments and introduced licensing and record-keeping requirements. This drove up costs, reducing prices paid. Dealers' margins are also hit by tightening environmental regulations, such as vehicle de-pollution.
• Technological developments. AI sensor sorting can separate grades more cleanly, helping recover purer materials and increasing the value of recovered metals.
• Speculation and stockpiling. Market activity can affect prices regardless of other factors. Traders, mills and large consumers may secure future supplies when they expect prices to rise. They may also stockpile materials. These actions can push up spot prices even when supply and demand haven't changed.

>>SEE: The 2026 Complete Auto Recycling Show (CARS) exhibitors

Scrap Metal Prices by Metal Type 

Metal	Value tier	Major price drivers
Copper	Highest	Copper is a measure of economic growth due to its use in construction, power supply and electronics. Prices can fluctuate widely.
Brass	High	Brass is 60–90% copper (with the remainder being zinc), so prices track copper prices closely.
Lead	Medium	Mostly used in batteries and has relatively constant demand and steadier prices.
Stainless steel	Medium	Prices track its main component, nickel, which has more volatile pricing.
Aluminium	Medium-low	Available more commonly than copper or brass but highly sensitive to energy prices due to its power-intensive smelting process.
Shredded scrap, steel, cast iron	Lowest	Ferrous metal demand is driven by mill and export requirements rather than the LME, so they move more slowly.

What Time of Year Are Scrap Metal Prices Highest? 

Scrap metal prices are usually the highest during the spring and summer months when construction and manufacturing activity are at their peak. This drives demand for structural steel, rebar and copper wiring into the early autumn. 

During the winter, economic activity falls, and metal prices may follow. The holiday season can be a particularly slow time as facilities reduce output and consumers suspend operations. 

Traders and recyclers should track prices with such seasonal trends in mind. However, note that price swings can be unpredictable and may be minor compared to the larger fluctuations outlined above.

Two other important factors that may affect scrap metal prices over the year are storage costs and metal degradation over time. If storage costs are high or a metal is more likely to degrade — ferrous metals are particularly vulnerable to corrosion — yards may be less willing to pay high prices for scrap and more likely to sell existing stock quickly.

Because prices depend on so many factors, selling at the top of the market is difficult even for experienced dealers. The best approach is often to keep an eye on prices and sell when you have volume, rather than hoping to sell during a price spike.

Where to Track UK Scrap Metal Prices 

No single source of information can guarantee you the price a dealer will pay for your scrap metal today. You should track UK scrap metal prices through different sources for different reasons. 

• The LME figure is the benchmark and ceiling for many metals' prices, which can give you an idea of where the overall market is headed. But it's not a perfect indicator of what you'll be paid at the yard.
• Trade associations, price reporting agencies and industry publications such as Fastmarkets provide guide prices for specific scrap grades, which give you more context for price movements. They also cover ferrous materials, which the LME doesn't include. Trade bodies like the British Metals Recycling Association may not always publish prices, but they do provide market commentary and policy details.
• Scrap dealer price lists show payments made at actual yards on a particular day for a particular grade. This can give you strong guide quotes. 
• Your dealer or recycling company will make a specific offer for the load you bring. Researching the other benchmarks in this list before you arrive at the yard will help you evaluate an offer. 
• Industry events, like CARS 2026, are where you can find future-focused intelligence. These events bring together analysts, traders and recyclers who are helping shape the market.

The Bigger Picture: Scrap Metal Prices and the Circular Economy 

Metals are a finite resource that have been mined for thousands of years. The most plentiful, easiest-to-find deposits have already been extracted.

For example, the International Energy Agency reports that the average grade of the world's copper mines has fallen 40% since 1991. Miners are forced to dig up more rock and use more energy to get the same amount of metal. Copper's central role in electrification — from power grids and electric vehicles to construction, industry and data centres — means the metal may face a major supply deficit of 30% by 2035.

Mining and processing also have severe negative environmental impacts, including air and water pollution, land degradation and biodiversity loss. More intensive mining worsens these problems.

These factors have led governments, regulators and trading blocs to support a "circular economy" for metals, encouraging their reuse rather than new mining and end-of-life disposal. For example, the EU's 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act sets a target to meet a quarter of the bloc's critical materials demand from recycling by 2030. 

This pro-recycling economy presents a huge opportunity for UK dealers, though export controls may limit it. As ore becomes scarcer and primary metals dearer, scrap metal prices are also likely to rise — especially because government policy is increasingly rewarding reuse over extraction.

>>DISCOVER: The CARS 2026 Speaker Agenda

Stay Ahead of the Market at Complete Auto Recycling Show 2026

There's no better way to stay ahead of the factors influencing scrap price than by hearing directly from the market movers and shapers. 

Fortunately, the industry will meet at the Complete Auto Recycling Show (CARS). Part of the Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS), which unites expert metal sector traders, dealers, policymakers and analysts, the CARS will take place at Birmingham's NEC on 16–17 September 2026.

Wherever you are in the scrap metal chain, from policy to selling loads, this is the room to be in. 

Register for CARS 2026 today. 

FAQs: UK Scrap Metal Prices

What are scrap metal prices today in the UK?

Scrap metal prices change daily and differ by region, metal grade and dealer, so there’s no single reference figure. As of mid-2026, copper runs at roughly £4–9 per kg, brass at £2.50–4.60 per kg, and ferrous metals at around £0.05–0.25 per kg. The London Metal Exchange (LME) sets the ceiling for refined non-ferrous metals.   

What time of year are scrap metal prices highest?

Scrap metal prices are often higher in the warmer months, when construction and manufacturing are at their peak. Prices tend to fall in winter, reaching lows around holidays when consumers suspend operations. However, larger global factors can outweigh seasonal variations.

How are scrap metal prices calculated per kg?

Scrap metal dealers start with the LME global benchmark price for refined metals and then deduct their costs: sorting, processing, transportation and their margin. The figure left is what you'll be paid at the yard. 

Author bio: Michael Willoughby is a British content writer and journalist based in Kosovo. He has more than 20 years' experience in B2B communications, starting out as a dot-com PR practitioner in New York City. He later retrained as a journalist and became a staff writer on OnOffice and Building magazines, covering sustainability, construction, architecture, engineering and the built environment. He was communications manager for Willmott Dixon's Re-Thinking (sustainability) department.

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About ESS Expo: Environmental Services & Solutions Expo (ESS Expo) is the UK's largest cross-sector environmental event, taking place annually at the NEC Birmingham. ESS Expo 2026 runs 16-17 September and unites seven co-located industry shows spanning resource, waste management, recycling, water management, air quality, sustainable engineering, decarbonisation, land remediation, circular economy,  net zero, energy from waste, and geotechnical engineering. Register free at ess-expo.co.uk.

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