London scrap prices follow the LME in pounds: copper, brass and aluminium per kilogram, ferrous per tonne. Payment is cashless by law at every licensed merchant, with photo ID and proof of address required. Yards cluster in Edmonton and the Lea Valley, Barking and the east, and Park Royal in the west.
Scrap metal prices per kg in London
| Scrap type | Price (GBP) | Change | Global reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-ferrous (per kg) | |||
| Copper Scrap | £9.10 / kg | ▲ +1.22% | $5.81 / lb |
| Aluminum Scrap | £1.36 / kg | ▲ +1.16% | $0.87 / lb |
| Brass Scrap | £5.54 / kg | ▲ +1.14% | $3.54 / lb |
| Stainless Steel Scrap | £0.89 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.57 / lb |
| Lead Scrap | £0.92 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.59 / lb |
| Zinc Scrap | £1.41 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.90 / lb |
| Battery Scrap | £0.36 / kg | ▲ +0.00% | $0.23 / lb |
| Radiator Scrap | £5.23 / kg | ▲ +1.21% | $3.34 / lb |
| Wire Scrap | £4.40 / kg | ▲ +1.44% | $2.81 / lb |
| Cable Scrap | £2.93 / kg | ▲ +1.08% | $1.87 / lb |
| Electronic Scrap | £1.25 / kg | ▲ +1.27% | $0.80 / lb |
| Ferrous and bulk (per tonne) | |||
| Steel Scrap | £235 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $300 / ton |
| Iron Scrap | £207 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $264 / ton |
| Car Scrap | £282 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $360 / ton |
| Cast Iron | £225 / tonne | ▲ +0.00% | $288 / ton |
Indicative dealer prices for clean, sorted scrap in the United Kingdom, shown here for London. Individual yards quote around this level by grade, volume and condition; the derivation from exchange benchmarks and the exchange rate (1 USD = 0.74 GBP) is described in the methodology section below.
London scrap price chart (GBP)
Daily open, high, low and close for the most traded scrap metals in GBP, the same series London yards price against. Scroll to zoom and drag to move along the timeline.
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The scrap market in London
London generates renovation and demolition scrap on a huge scale and consumes almost none of it, so material flows through borough merchants to processors on the edge of the city and export docks at Tilbury. Prices track the LME in sterling, and the pound matters as much as the metal on any given week.
The trade is cashless and documented, which changed the market more than any price move: every sale is by bank transfer or cheque against photo ID and proof of address under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. It removed the street trade and left licensed merchants competing on price and convenience.
- Region
- Greater London, England
- Quoted in
- GBP per kg (non-ferrous), per tonne (ferrous)
- Yards cluster in
- Edmonton and the Lea Valley, Barking, Park Royal, Croydon
- Demand from
- Export docks at Tilbury, regional processors
Where the scrap yards are in London
- Edmonton, Tottenham and the Lea Valley: the biggest concentration of merchants in the capital.
- Barking, Dagenham and the east: heavy scrap with quick access to Tilbury.
- Park Royal and Wembley: the west London trade hub for contractors.
- Croydon and the south: retail merchants serving the suburbs.
What pays well in London
- Dry bright and number 1 copper from rewires and plumbing.
- Brass fittings and mixed brass from renovation.
- Lead flashing and sheet from roofing work.
Selling scrap metal in London: rules, ID and payment
Cash is illegal for scrap anywhere in England: licensed dealers must verify your name and address with photo ID and a proof of address, and pay by bank transfer or cheque. Vans entering inner London should factor the ULEZ charge into the trip, and vehicles being scrapped need the V5C logbook.
Before any sale, check the live board above, sort by grade and get quotes from two or three buyers; the best scrap price guide covers the routine and the calculator turns a weight into a figure at today's price. To judge whether a local quote is competitive, our note on telling a well-paying yard from a headline rate sets out the benchmark test.
London scrap price FAQ
What is the scrap copper price in London today?
As of the latest update, the indicative price for clean number 1 copper is about £9.10 per kg in GBP. London yards typically quote within a few percent of that figure either side, depending on grade, volume and the buyer; the live board above shows all fifteen grades.
Can I get cash for scrap metal in London?
No. The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 bans cash for scrap across England and Wales, so every licensed London merchant pays by bank transfer or cheque after checking photo ID and proof of address. Anyone offering cash is unlicensed, and selling to them is an offence too.
Where can I sell scrap metal in London?
The Lea Valley belt around Edmonton and Tottenham has the most merchants and the sharpest prices, Barking and Dagenham handle heavy loads in the east, Park Royal covers the west, and Croydon the south. Phone two merchants with your grades; London spreads are real.
Are London prices different from the national board?
The board on this page is the the United Kingdom indicative level, and London yards trade around it rather than exactly on it. Local competition, freight to the nearest consumer and the day's export demand set the spread, which is why two quotes in the same city can differ by several percent on the same morning.
Sources and methodology
The London board uses the the United Kingdom indicative prices: global exchange benchmarks (COMEX copper, CME aluminum and steel, NYMEX platinum and palladium, IMF monthly lead, zinc and nickel) multiplied by typical yard recovery shares, a local market factor of 0.96 and the day's exchange rate. The full method, the recovery shares and the correction policy are on our editorial policy page; local notes on this page are reviewed against published dealer information and reader corrections sent to info@scrappricetoday.com.
Prices are indicative and for information only; they are not offers to buy or sell. Yard quotes in London vary by grade, volume, condition and buyer.
Nearby and related
Scrap metal prices in the United Kingdom · All countries · Catalytic converter prices