How should you sort household scrap before you sell it in the UK?
Short answer: Separate the metals into groups, with copper, brass, lead, aluminium, stainless steel and ordinary steel in their own piles, use a magnet to split steel from the rest, remove plastic, rubber and insulation where easy, and keep each group clean and dry, because a sorted load almost always earns more than a single mixed pile and is easier for a buyer to price.
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List Free →Start with a magnet
A magnet separates steel and iron from copper, brass, aluminium and lead, which is the single most useful first sort.
Keep the valuable metals apart
Copper, brass and lead should each have their own container so that they are not contaminated by cheaper metals.
Keep it dry and clean
Wet or dirty material weighs more but pays less, so keep scrap dry and shake off loose dirt before you load.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade buyers quote by material, so a sorted load gets a better quote than a mixed pile.
Knowing what you have is half the job. ScrapTrade connects UK sellers with verified buyers, transparent weighing and escrow-protected payments.
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