Frequently Asked Questions

Prices move daily with the LME and depend on the metal, grade, cleanliness and quantity, so we don't publish fixed figures. Tell us your material, rough weight and location — or send a WhatsApp photo — for a current quote.

Yes. We offer free collection across Birmingham and the West Midlands for qualifying loads, and arrange nationwide haulage for larger bulk quantities.

We aim to quote the same day and can often collect within a day or two, depending on your location and load size.

We pay by traceable means with a clear payment statement based on auditable weighing. Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act we don't pay cash.

Every collection comes with a waste transfer note, weighbridge tickets and a payment statement — your evidence of compliant disposal under duty of care.

Yes — we're an Environment Agency upper-tier registered waste carrier (CBDU622654) with ISO 9001:2015 certified processing.

Copper, aluminium, brass, lead, stainless steel and all grades of ferrous (steel & iron), plus cable, ELV, plant and factory scrap.

Yes — we buy from trade, industry and the public. For regular commercial volumes we can set up a trade account with scheduled collections.

Yes. We handle everything from a single load to full factory, warehouse and demolition clearances, with skips and bulk haulage available.

A magnet is the quickest test — it sticks to ferrous (steel/iron) but not to copper, brass, aluminium, lead or most stainless. Still unsure? Send us a photo and we'll identify it.

There's no strict minimum, though free collection is aimed at trade and larger loads. For smaller amounts you're welcome to deliver to us, or we'll advise the best option — just tell us roughly how much you have.

Yes. For businesses producing scrap regularly we set up an account with agreed pricing, scheduled collections and consolidated statements.

Yes — we can supply bins, skips and containers suited to your material and space, with scheduled or on-call collection.

Yes. Electric motors, armatures, transformers and all types of insulated cable are bought and priced on their recoverable copper or aluminium content.

It's weighed and graded, then sorted, processed and recycled through our network — UK collection through to export — returning to industry as new material, all with full traceability.

Yes. Larger clearances are staged over multiple collections to work around your operations, with a schedule agreed at the survey stage.

We're based in Birmingham and collect across the West Midlands — Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Walsall, Dudley and beyond — with nationwide collection for bulk loads.

Please contact us directly with details — including the vehicle or code if you have it — and we'll advise. We assess these case by case.

We'd really appreciate it — you can leave us a Google review from the link in our footer or on the Contact page. It helps other UK businesses find us.

Yes — anyone trading in scrap metal must hold a scrap metal dealer licence from their local council under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. We operate fully within the Act, with traceable payments and Environment Agency waste carrier registration.

A site licence lets a dealer buy and store scrap at a fixed premises; a collector's licence only permits travelling collection within a council area and bars taking metal back to a site to sell. The type a dealer holds tells you how they're allowed to operate.

Every licensed dealer appears on the national scrap metal dealers public register, with the local council holding the area record. Ask any dealer for their licence number and check it before you sell.

A registered waste carrier is a business authorised by the Environment Agency to legally transport waste, including scrap metal. Using a registered carrier protects you under duty-of-care rules — we are EA upper-tier registered (CBDU622654).

Cash payment for scrap metal was banned by the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 to make transactions traceable and cut metal theft. Payment must be by bank transfer or cheque — we pay strictly by bank transfer.

Graded scrap is baled or loose-loaded into shipping containers and exported under green-list (Annex VII) waste-shipment rules with full customs paperwork. We manage the documentation and logistics end to end.

Green-list metal scrap moves under Annex VII waste-shipment documentation, plus standard export paperwork (EORI, commercial invoice) and, for some destinations, a pre-shipment inspection certificate (PSIC). We handle the documentation on every container.

A Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) is an inspection document some importing countries require to confirm a scrap consignment is as declared and free of prohibited material. We arrange it where the destination requires it.

Aluminium waste and scrap is classified under HS heading 7602. The correct code matters for customs clearance on both the export and import side.

RA Recycle Service is our international processing partner in Kuchera, Nagaur, Rajasthan 341024, India, holding ISO 9001:2015, a DGFT Import-Export Code, GST registration and RSPCB consents. We source and grade scrap in the UK and supply them as part of our export chain — an arm's-length trading partner, not a group subsidiary.