How to Choose a Reliable Scrap Yard

Choosing a trustworthy scrap yard can be difficult. But here at Kas Metal Trading, we make the choice easy for you. Whether you’re a tradesperson working for a construction company, or you’re the director who owns it, you’ve probably asked yourself – how can businesses choose a reliable scrap yard? We have all the answers for you below!

How can businesses choose a reliable scrap yard?

1. Research the reputation of the scrap yard
2. Make enquiries about pricing
3. Check how long the scrap yard has been trading
4. Ask yourself if they prioritise their customers
5. Look into the technology they use

What makes a scrap yard trustworthy?

Trustworthy scrap yards will often have a good reputation, fair pricing and up-to-date equipment. Here’s what you should look out for:

• A good reputation: Doing a deep dive into a scrap yard’s reputation before trading with them could save you from unfair pricing, poor customer service and your valuable materials being mishandled. 
• Competitive scrap metal prices: Unreliable scrap yards under-pay and under-deliver. What sets Kas apart is our competitive scrap metal prices, always based on the London Metal Exchange (LME).
• Long-standing industry experience: For a smooth scrap metal recycling process, finding a well-established trader is half the battle! Our expert scrap metal merchants have been trading since 2008.
• Modern metal analysis systems: Some scrap yards are still living in the times of hand-written payment tickets and dirty unloading areas. Not us! Visit our scrap yard and you’ll always receive a fully compliant payment ticket, generated from a specialist weigh-in using the latest in metal analysis systems.

At Kas Metal Trading, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do. But don’t just take our word for it! See what our happy customers had to say…

How do scrap yards set their prices?

Scrap yards set their prices based on supply and demand, material-specific factors and their own operational costs. We’ve broken this down for you further below:

• Supply and demand: When the demand from construction and manufacturing industries is high, prices will increase. Whereas, if there is an oversupply or low demand, prices will drop.
• The type/grade of metal: Non-ferrous metals (e.g. copper, aluminium, lead, etc.) will generally fetch a higher price than their ferrous counterparts. Grade is also important as dirty, contaminated or mixed scrap is much less valuable than clean, pure metal. 
• Quantity/weight of scrap: Naturally, the more scrap you have, or the heavier your weigh-in is, the higher the price you’ll receive.
• Location of scrap yard: Scrap yards located near major transport hubs or ports can offer more competitive prices due to lower transportation costs.

Our reliable scrap yard bases all of its scrap metal prices on the world centre for industrial metal hedging, pricing and trading – the London Metal Exchange (LME).

How can a scrap yard help your business save money?

Whether you own a small trade business or a large-scale construction company, the Kas Metal scrap yard can save you money by:

• Converting scrap metal into a revenue stream: Scrap yards provide a new way to generate revenue from byproducts of construction and manufacturing, putting money back into your business.
• Reducing waste disposal fees: Selling your byproducts to a scrap metal recycler helps your business avoid landfill fees while helping the environment!
• Lowering raw material costs: Lower your overheads by purchasing recycled metal from us, rather than buying raw materials brand-new.

Looking for a reliable scrap yard?

Scrap metal recycling is a simple, yet highly effective, way to partake in sustainable construction practices and help protect the environment. 

As fellow tradespeople, we understand how busy trading can be. Which is why we offer same-day payments if you bring your scrap metal to us before 4pm!

Visit our local scrap yard today to carry less weight to your next job, earn some extra cash and do your bit for the environment.

Based in Atherton, our scrap metal merchants can also service the following locations:

• Astley
• Bolton
• Chorley
• Lancashire
• Leigh
• Manchester
• Preston
• Salford
• Tyldesley
• Westhoughton
• Wigan
• Worsley

FAQs

How do I know if a scrap yard is licensed?

Check the Environment Agency public register (or local authority equivalent) to confirm the scrap yard holds a valid scrap metal dealer license.

Do scrap yards pay the same prices for metal?

No, scrap metal prices vary depending on the scrap yard. They can also fluctuate due to supply and demand, as well as material-specific factors.

Often, the best choice is to go for a scrap yard who sets their prices against a global standard, e.g. the London Metal Exchange (LME), such as Kas Metal Trading. This ensures you’ll always receive the most competitive price for your scrap metal at the time of your transaction.

Can choosing the wrong scrap yard affect my business?

Yes, you can be underpaid, have your materials mishandled and the wrong merchants can sometimes breach regulations – exposing your business to costly fines or reputational damage. Always check the scrap yard you’re dealing with has the following:

• A license under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act (2013)
• Prices influenced by global commodity markets, such as the LME
• Up-to-date processing equipment & safe unloading/waiting areas