London Scrap BoardLondon · Updated Daily
Scrap metal prices in London today
Yard buying rates for copper, brass, aluminium, lead, steel and stainless — per kg and per tonne — so you know what you're owed before you drive to the yard.
Bright Copper Wire, per kg
Range across tracked London yards: —
Price board
Scrap metal prices by metal — London yard average
Top grade shown for each metal. Click through for every grade, or use the calculator below.
| Metal | Top grade | £/kg | Range |
|---|
Free tool
Scrap value calculator
Pick a metal and grade, enter your weight, and get an estimate of what your load is worth at today's London average.
Estimated value
Indicative estimate only. Final price is always confirmed on the yard's own scales at weigh-in.
Background
How London scrap prices are set
Three things decide the number a London yard offers you.
Global benchmark
LME spot price
Copper, aluminium, zinc, lead and nickel all trade on the London Metal Exchange. That daily spot price sets the ceiling everything else is measured against.
Yard margin
A working discount
Yards buy below spot to cover sorting, transport, refining loss and their own margin. Cleaner, better-sorted metal earns a smaller discount than mixed loads.
What you're paid
The price on the board
The figures above are averaged across London yards so you can walk in with a realistic number in mind, rather than guessing.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What are scrap metal prices in London today?
Prices change daily with the LME and with yard demand. The table above shows today's London yard average for each metal's top grade — check it before you load up the car.
Why is the yard price lower than the LME price?
The LME price is a global wholesale benchmark for pure, refined metal. Yards buy mixed, unrefined scrap, so they price in sorting, handling, transport and their own margin — typically 20–50% below spot, depending on the metal and how clean it is.
Is scrap paid per kg or per tonne?
Both — smaller domestic loads are usually quoted per kg, while commercial and trade quantities are quoted per tonne. Divide a tonne rate by 1,000 to get the per-kg figure.
What do I need to bring to sell scrap metal in London?
UK scrap yards are required by law to verify your identity before paying out, so bring photo ID. Most yards now pay by bank transfer rather than cash.
Does the grade of my metal really change the price that much?
Yes — often by 2–3x for the same metal. Clean, sorted, uncontaminated material (like bright bare copper wire) pays far more than mixed or dirty scrap of the same metal.
Do prices vary by London area?
A little — see our prices by London area page for what to expect across North, South, East and West London.
Read next
Guides
How to sell scrap metal in London →
Licensed yards, ID rules, sorting for grade, and red flags to avoid.
Prices by London area →
What to expect across North, South, East and West London.