Introduction
This section of the data portal provides a summary of developments in the UK’s recovered metals market. The data presented here comes from respected, publicly available and regularly updated sources on the internet. By following the link(s) above the graphics, you can find out more details on the source of the data and visit the sites to access the full data.
The current highlights and trends are:
Aluminium & Steel
• Aluminium can prices currently stand at around £935 per tonne. Prices have fluctuated during 2018 but the average price was £1016 per tonne.
• Steel can prices continued to stand at £145 per tonne. Mixed can prices rose slightly to £95 per tonne.
PRN prices
• Aluminium PRN prices have seen strong gains during 2018 and currently stand at £100 per tonne, having started the year at just over £9 per tonne.
• Steel PRN prices have also shown good overall growth during 2018 and were trading at £15.50 per tonne in December 2018, having started the year at £5.50 per tonne.
Packaging recovery & recycling
• Around 28kt of aluminium packaging was reprocessed in the UK or exported in 2018Q3, which is 54kt more than 2017Q3.
• The amount of recovered steel packaging that is being reprocessed or exported totalled 104kt in 2018Q3. This was an increase of 9kt from 2017Q3.
Non-ferrous scrap metal
• Copper dry bright wire prices fluctuated throughout the last months of the year Prices in early December stood at £4250per tonne, compared to £4525 per tonne at the start of the year.
• The price of aluminium pure cuttings has slowly declined throughout 2018. They are currently trading at £650 per tonne, having started the year at £800 per tonne
• 18/8 stainless solid prices also declined slightly throughout the last months of the year. They were trading at £615 per tonne in early December.
• Lead battery prices have fluctuated slightly and currently stand at £525 per tonne. They previously peaked at £600 per tonne in November 2016.
Ferrous scrap metal prices
• Prices for ferrous metal grades declined towards the end of the year. Prices declined to around £155 per tonne for OA Heavy grade, £135 per tonne for 4C grade, and £82.5 per tonne for grade 10. 7B grade saw prices rise to £117 per tonne.
Aluminium
• Virgin aluminium prices have fluctuated during 2018. Prices are currently trading at just over £1600 per tonne.