Metal

The term Metal can capture a wide range of different categories/types within the waste and resources sector, but the macro split tends to be into Ferrous Metal (those metals containing iron), Non-Ferrous Metal (those metals not containing iron), and Mixed Metal (a mixture of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal which is then subsequently sorted into various categories/grades for subsequent recycling) - the broad term normally used for waste metals is Scrap Metal in the UK. For Used Beverage Cans (UBC) classifications are generally 'Steel' (Ferrous Metal), 'Aluminium' (Non-Ferrous Metal) and 'Mixed Cans' (Mixture of the two types)

Overview

A Metal is defined as 'a material of various opaque, fusible, ductile, and typically lustrous properties that are good conductors of electricity and heat, form cations by loss of electrons, and yield basic oxides and hydroxides'.

The term metal can capture a wide range of different categories/types within the waste and resources sector, but the macro split tends to be into Ferrous Metal (those metals containing iron), Non-Ferrous Metal (those metals not containing iron), and Mixed Metal (a mixture of both ferrous and non-ferrous metal which is then subsequently sorted into various categories/grades for subsequent recycling) - the broad term normally used for waste metals is scrap metal in the UK.

Under Simpler Recycling Metal is classified as:

• Steel and aluminium tins and cans
• Steel and aluminium aerosols
• Aluminium foil
• Aluminium food trays
• Steel and aluminium jars and bottle lids
• Aluminium tubes

Scrap Metal Grades (examples)

Whilst the macro split is into essentially three categories, scrap metal dealers and recycling business trade in the wider commodity markets which have a global influence. Grades of non-ferrous and ferrous scrap metal might include, for example:

• Mixed Brass Scrap
• Mixed Alloy Cuttings
• HE9:Clean
• Household Cables
• 18/8 Stainless Steel Solids
• 13% Chrome Iron
• 70/30 Cupronickel
• Dry Bright Wire
• Heavy Copper
• Lead Batteries
• Grade 1 Old Steel (No1 5ft)
• Grade 5C Loose Light Steel Scrap
• Grade 10 Light Cast Iron

Local Authority Descriptions

Local authorities collect materials and describe them as required by WasteDataFlow, which is based primarily on the use or origin of the metal, for example cans and fire extinguishes. The headers following are these categories with a listing of which local authorities collect a significant tonnage of these types of materials. Whereas local authorities separately identify large WEEE items such as domestic fridges, the scrap metal industry tends to classify, recycle and trade based on the metal type from these appliances.

Scrap Metal Recycling

Recycling of metals can include the following processes:

• Collection, weighing, sorting and distribution of metals: dealing with a wide range of suppliers, including engineering industries; small traders, such as plumbers or vehicle dismantlers; local authority collection sites; and householders disposing of domestic appliances.
• Shearing – reducing the size of large pieces of metal by cutting
• Baling/compacting – to improve ease of handling and transportation
• Shredding – reducing feedstock to fist-sized lumps; and separating metals from other materials using magnets and air classification methods. A large shredder can process a car in less than ten seconds.
• Media separation – further separation of any remaining non ferrous metals using liquid density and hand or mechanical sorting methods
• International metals trading – moving metals around the world.

Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 it is illegal for anyone to buy scrap metal using cash, and all scrap metal dealers must verify the identity of all sellers.

Macro Tonnages

The most recent information published by DEFRA is summarized in the pie charts below, with 2,060,580 tonnes of ferrous, 478,855 tonnes of non-ferrous and 3,965,881 tonnes of mixed metallic wastes generated in the UK in 2016 and is part of the broader figures reported in UK Waste Tonnage:

Ferrous Waste		Non-Ferrous Waste		Mixed Metal Waste
Data Table		Data Table		Data Table
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (AFF)	7,443	Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (AFF)	1,010	Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (AFF)	8,254
Mining and Quarrying (MQ)	2,368	Mining and Quarrying (MQ)	1,067	Mining and Quarrying (MQ)	16,915
Industrial (Ind)	245,120	Industrial (Ind)	63,257	Industrial (Ind)	348,199
Construction (Con)	1,129,527	Construction (Con)	298,915	Construction (Con)	688,085
Commercial (Com)	659,898	Commercial (Com)	109,348	Commercial (Com)	2,530,242
Household (HH)	16,224	Household (HH)	5,258	Household (HH)	374,185

The recording of tonnage from the following headers by local authorities in WasteDataFlow is aggregated into the household figures, as the tonnage of metals that might be extracted from Comingled Recyclate that are sorted at a MRF, although these tonnages are not reported by the local authorities in WasteDataFlow as segregated metals unless the MRF provides information back to them

Aerosols

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 100 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Staffordshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Red Industries Ltd	Sneyd Hill, Burslem, Stoke On Trent, Staffordshire, St6 2Dz,	Aerosols	502.55	Apr21 - Mar22
Glasgow City	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Not Available	Not Available	Aerosols	194.22	Jan21 - Dec21
Flintshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Veolia E S ( U K ) Ltd	Rear Of Naylors Transport, Comet Road, Leyland, Preston, Lancashire	Aerosols	111.13	Apr21 - Mar22

Aluminium Cans

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 1000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Vale of Glamorgan Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Cowbridge Compost Ltd	The Lodge, Llwynhelig, Gibbots Hill, Cowbridge, Vale Of Glamorgan	Aluminium cans	8,502.31	Apr21 - Mar22
Swindon Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Jeremy Mark Freeth	Kingshill Recycling Centre, Cricklade, Swindon, Wiltshire	Aluminium cans	8,326.98	Apr21 - Mar22
Bath and North East Somerset Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	J & A Young ( Leicester ) Ltd	J & A Young ( Leicester), Berristow Lane, South Normanton, Derbyshire	Aluminium cans	2,871.40	Apr21 - Mar22
North Somerset Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Other/Exempt	62 Brandon Parade,Holly Walk,Royal Leamington SpaWarwickshire	Aluminium cans	2,800.53	Apr21 - Mar22
St Helens MBC	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Central Grange Environmental Waste Ltd	Merton Street, St Helens, Merseyside	Aluminium cans	2,649.36	Apr21 - Mar22
Flintshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Parry & Evans	Unit 103, Zone 1, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside	Aluminium cans	1,986.97	Apr21 - Mar22
North Somerset Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Other/Exempt	Aston House, 3 Springfield Industrial Estate, Newport, Shropshire	Aluminium cans	1,939.78	Apr21 - Mar22
Swindon Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	European Metal Recycling Ltd	Bridge House, Gipsy Lane, Swindon, Wiltshire	Aluminium cans	1,763.54	Apr21 - Mar22
Halton Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Veolia Environmental Services Merseyside & Halton Ltd	Stonebridge Lane, Gillmoss, Liverpool, Merseyside	Aluminium cans	1,712.74	Apr21 - Mar22
Bristol City Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Morris & Co Handlers Ltd	Bankwood Lane, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Yorkshire	Aluminium cans	1,611.53	Apr21 - Mar22
Cheshire West and Chester	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Other/Exempt	Biffa Junction Works, Bickenshaw, Abram, Wigan,	Aluminium cans	1,190.49	Apr21 - Mar22

Aluminium Foil

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 100 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Gloucestershire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Smiths ( Gloucester ) Ltd	The Old Airfield, Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire	Aluminium foil	3,460.27	Apr21 - Mar22
Newport City Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Avalon Metals Limited	Eastside Recycling Facility, Fordshill Road, Rotherwas Ind Est, Hereford	Aluminium foil	439.23	Apr21 - Mar22
Cheltenham Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	P W Commercial Company Limited	Printwaste Recycling And Shredding, Units 5 & 6 The Aerodrome, Stoke Orchard, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire	Aluminium foil	139.87	Apr21 - Mar22

Bicycles

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 200 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Doncaster MBC	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	Doncaster Re-furnish, Unit15 Hutton Business Park, Hangthwate Road, Carcroft, Doncaster	Bicycles	458.35	Apr21 - Mar22
Oxfordshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	W&S Recycling, Mannings Heath, Dorset BH12 4NZ (WEX117498)	Bicycles	401.45	Apr21 - Mar22
Wokingham Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	46-48 Portman Road, Reading, RG30 1EA	Bicycles	371.08	Apr21 - Mar22
Lancaster City Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Other/Exempt	Vickers Industrial EstateMellishaw LaneMorecambeLA3 3EN	Bicycles	303.67	Apr21 - Mar22
West Sussex County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Multiple destinations	Multiple	Bicycles	225.08	Apr21 - Mar22
Reading Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	Precycle. 46-48 Portman Road, Reading, RG30 1EAExemptions WEX059051 and WEX059060Not found on selection lists	Bicycles	224.37	Apr21 - Mar22
Buckinghamshire Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	South Bucks Hospice; Aston Clinton - HRC College Road North Aston Clinton Buckinghamshire	Bicycles	215.40	Apr21 - Mar22
Bracknell Forest Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reuse (qu35)	Other/Exempt	Precycle. 46-48 Portman Road, Reading, RG30 1EAExemptions WEX059051 and WEX059060Not found on selection lists	Bicycles	208.18	Apr21 - Mar22

Fire Extinguishers

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 100 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Cumbria County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Site details not known	Unknown	Fire extinguishers	1,537.33	Apr21 - Mar22
Glasgow City	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Not Available	Not Available	Fire extinguishers	177.31	Jan21 - Dec21
Norfolk County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Enviroco Limited	Berths 2-4, South Denes Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk	Fire extinguishers	152.31	Apr21 - Mar22

Gas Bottles

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 2000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Norfolk County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Glazewing Ltd	Far End, Station Road, West Dereham, Norfolk	Gas bottles	2,902.66	Apr21 - Mar22

Mixed cans

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 2000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
St Helens MBC	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Biffa Waste Services Ltd	Pocket Nook Resource Management Centre, Pocket Nook Street, St Helens, Warrington, Cheshire	Mixed cans	7,451.41	Apr21 - Mar22
Devon County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sims Group Uk Ltd	7 Christow Road, Marsh Barton Ind Est, Exeter, Devon	Mixed cans	5,456.09	Apr21 - Mar22
Gloucestershire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Smiths ( Gloucester ) Ltd	The Old Airfield, Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire	Mixed cans	5,161.63	Apr21 - Mar22
Ryedale District Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Yorwaste Ltd	Seamer Landfill Site, Dunslow Road, Seamer, Scarborough, North Yorkshire	Mixed cans	5,037.96	Apr21 - Mar22
Nottinghamshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sims Group U K Ltd	Harrimans Lane, Dunkirk, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire	Mixed cans	4,555.24	Apr21 - Mar22
Dumfries & Galloway	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Not Available	Not Available	Mixed cans	4,475.19	Jan21 - Dec21
Cambridgeshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	European Metal Recycling Ltd	Beevor Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire	Mixed cans	4,032.36	Apr21 - Mar22
Richmondshire District Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Yorwaste Ltd	Tancred Quarry, Scorton, Richmond, North Yorkshire	Mixed cans	4,029.19	Apr21 - Mar22
Devon County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sita U K Ltd	East Devon Materials Recycling Facility, Unit 54, Greendale Business Park, Woodbury, Salterton, Devon	Mixed cans	3,621.12	Apr21 - Mar22
Neath Port Talbot CBC	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	P M K Recycling Limited	P M K Recycling, Baston Outgang Road, Baston, Peterborough, Cambs	Mixed cans	2,257.00	Apr21 - Mar22

Other Scrap Metal

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 10000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Merseyside WDA (MBC)	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	S Norton & Co Ltd	Bankfield House, Bankfield Mill, Regent Road, Liverpool, Merseyside	Other Scrap metal	17,486.76	Apr21 - Mar22
Devon County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sims Group Uk Ltd	7 Christow Road, Marsh Barton Ind Est, Exeter, Devon	Other Scrap metal	10,490.73	Apr21 - Mar22

Steel Cans

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 2000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Vale of Glamorgan Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Cowbridge Compost Ltd	The Lodge, Llwynhelig, Gibbots Hill, Cowbridge, Vale Of Glamorgan	Steel cans	8,502.31	Apr21 - Mar22
Swindon Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Jeremy Mark Freeth	Kingshill Recycling Centre, Cricklade, Swindon, Wiltshire	Steel cans	8,326.98	Apr21 - Mar22
Bath and North East Somerset Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	J & A Young ( Leicester ) Ltd	J & A Young ( Leicester), Berristow Lane, South Normanton, Derbyshire	Steel cans	2,871.40	Apr21 - Mar22
North Somerset Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Other/Exempt	62 Brandon Parade,Holly Walk,Royal Leamington SpaWarwickshire	Steel cans	2,800.53	Apr21 - Mar22
St Helens MBC	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Central Grange Environmental Waste Ltd	Merton Street, St Helens, Merseyside	Steel cans	2,649.36	Apr21 - Mar22
Moray	Source segregated recyclate	Other Method	Not Available	Not Available	Steel cans	2,564.81	Jan21 - Dec21