Licensed scrap metal removal operates under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. Any operator handling ferrous metals, copper, aluminium, lead, or mixed scrap must hold a site licence and follow cashless payment rules—meaning you'll receive payment by bank transfer, never cash. This protects both you and the recycler from stolen goods laundering.
When your scrap is collected, it's taken to a permitted recycling facility or scrap yard registered with the Environment Agency or a local authority. You'll receive a waste transfer note, proving the material was handled correctly and didn't end up in landfill. Metals are then separated—ferrous grades (steel, iron) go to one stream, non-ferrous (copper, aluminium, lead) to another—and returned to foundries, mills, or manufacturing plants across the UK and Europe. This closed-loop recycling keeps material in the economy and reduces mining demand.
