Metal Recycling

The process of recycling metal

We take care of the entire scrap metal recycling process from collecting scrap to exporting metals, providing total waste management solutions for large businesses and convenient sites for tradesmen and members of the public.

We recycle the majority of the metal we receive at our industry-leading metal and waste recycling site with the remainder being processed and exported from our satellite sites. At our 15-acre Recycling Park the metal is processed through our pre-shredder and fragmentiser, which shred and separate materials. The entire process is recorded in high-definition, providing you with evidence of a secure destruction process.

Blue-chip businesses and local authorities

We manage metal collection nationwide, to remove and recycle metal and waste from businesses and local authorities. Our bespoke online portal allows you to follow the process from beginning to end, to order skips and bins, view loads ahead of processing and follow the recycling process then ensure total compliance.

Tradesmen, merchants and members of the public:

We have a centralised system to determine scrap metal value across our nationwide network of sites:

• Metal is weighed on our weighbridges, recording transactions and clearly displaying weights
• Loads are photographed, allowing for transparency and safety around loads into site
• Loads are fluorescence analysed, accurately confirming the composition of materials

We accept all ferrous and non-ferrous metals: light iron, cast iron and heavy steel, and copper, brass, lead, stainless steel, aluminium, bronze and zinc, as well as items with metal content, such as car batteries, alloy wheels, cookers, boilers and scrap machinery.

Metal recycling regulations

Blue-chip businesses and local authorities

The Duty of Care Regulations state that as a waste holder you must take all reasonable steps to:

• Prevent unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste
• Ensure that all waste is disposed of with a business or individuals that have the correct and relevant environmental permit issued but the Environmental Agency
• Prevent other parties from breaching permit conditions relevant to the type of waste they process
• Provide an accurate description of the waste when it is transferred to another business or individual
• Retain waste documentation about non-hazardous waste for two years

In addition, any waste holder must ensure that waste is transferred to a business or individual that is:

• Registered as a carrier, broker or dealer of waste
• A waste management operator with an environmental permit or registered exemption to accept such waste

Tradesmen, merchants and member of the public

Recycling Lives cannot, and will not, pay cash for scrap metal. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 it is illegal for all scrap metal buyers to pay cash for scrap metal - this applies to any person or business selling waste metal. All payments must be made by cheque or BACS transfer to those who present valid identification (ID). We also have a pre-paid card option, an electronic card payment scheme for regular customers.

Valid ID:

• Driving Licence: Current photo card version for the UK or NI - expired or paper versions are not accepted.
• UK or EEA Passport or a valid biometric immigration document. If you use one of these documents as your form of ID then it must also be accompanied by one of the following:
• Bank or building society statement, credit or debit card, council tax demand letter or statement, or a recent utility bill (excluding a mobile telephone bill)

All our sites are regulated by the Environment Agency and all waste is handled in accordance with national and European environmental standards.