What are the Most Valuable Scrap Metals?

Scrap metal value is always fluctuating and depends on the health of the economy. But even so, some metals are always worth more when sold as scrap than others. Which leaves many people wondering, what are the most valuable metals you can sell as scrap? In this post, we’ll cover the top scrap metals.

Copper

As you probably guessed, copper is the most valuable metal to scrap. Even with a fluctuating market, copper is always a good metal to sell. It is so valuable because it has an infinite recycling life, meaning it can be used again and again without losing its quality.

It’s also used in such a wide variety of industries, meaning it is always in high demand.

Brass

Second to copper is brass. Sometimes mistaken for gold, it’s often found in ornate decorations and furnishings such as doorknobs. And, of course, it’s found in many musical instruments.

Aluminium

This is widely used in the automotive industry and is another one of the most valuable scrap metals. Just like copper, it can be infinitely recycled without losing its quality, making it a highly sought-after metal in many industries.

Interestingly, because of the efficient way it can be recycled, of the 9.5 billion aluminium cans produced in the UK every year, 75% are recycled. That’s a huge percentage when compared to plastic and other recycled materials.

Stainless Steel

One of the most common scrap metals, stainless steel is pretty valuable as scrap if it is clean, high-grade and well maintained. It’s used throughout modern kitchens and is now even popular for kitchen countertops, making it another in demand scrap metal.

Lead

Although lead used to be a widely used metal, it’s now much less common due to its toxicity. Even so, it is still used in the manufacture of large car batteries, so it does hold a relatively high scrap value.

If you come across old lead pipes when renovating a house, handle them with care and be aware that they are very heavy.

Follow Current Trading Prices

It’s important to remember that the prices of scrap metal are always fluctuating. Although these prices don’t tend to have a significant impact on dealers when dealing with small quantities – they’ll usually have fairly consistent metal prices.

If you have scrap metal you want a great price for, give our team a call today. We’ll be able to tell you what your scrap is worth and set up a time for a collection or drop-off at our local depot.