What Types of Metals Can Be Recycled?
What Metals Can Be Recycled? A Practical Guide
Most common metals can be recycled, including steel, iron, aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, stainless steel and lead, along with many other ferrous and non-ferrous metals. Where and how you recycle them, though, depends on the type of metal, the item it comes from and whether it contains other materials or hazardous components.
This guide explains which metals are recyclable, gives common examples of each, covers what may not be accepted and shows where you can take or send scrap metal in the UK.
What metals can be recycled?
The table below covers the metals people most often ask about. Every one of them can be recycled as a material, although lead needs specialist handling and pewter varies with its composition.
| Metal | Recyclable? | Common examples |
| Aluminium | Yes | Drinks cans, window frames, vehicle parts |
| Steel | Yes | Appliances, tools, structural steel |
| Stainless steel | Yes | Sinks, cookware, equipment |
| Iron | Yes | Machinery, radiators, gates |
| Copper | Yes | Pipes, wiring, cylinders |
| Brass | Yes | Taps, fittings, valves |
| Bronze | Yes | Components, ornaments, fittings |
| Lead | Yes, specialist handling may apply | Roofing, pipes, weights |
| Silver | Yes | Jewellery, electrical and electronic components |
| Pewter | Generally yes | Ornaments, tableware |
Steel, iron, aluminium, copper, brass and lead are the metals that turn up most often in scrap collections. If you are not sure what you have, the sections below explain how to tell them apart.
Are all metals recyclable?
Almost every metal can be recycled, but that is not quite the same as every metal object being accepted by every recycling service. There is a difference between something being technically recyclable and being accepted through a particular recycling route.
A cast iron radiator and a steel food tin are both made of recyclable metal, yet only one belongs in your kerbside recycling. Size, composition, contamination, attached components and local collection rules all affect where an item can go. A useful rule of thumb is that recyclable does not mean suitable for your household recycling bin. We come back to that below.
Ferrous vs non-ferrous metals
Scrap metal is usually split into two groups, and the split matters because the two are sorted and processed separately.
What are ferrous metals?
Ferrous metals contain iron as a significant component. The most familiar examples are steel, cast iron and wrought iron. They are found in everything from car bodies and washing machines to gates, railings and garden tools.
A magnet is a handy first test. Most ferrous metals are magnetic, so if a magnet sticks firmly, you are probably looking at steel or iron. It is not infallible, though. Some grades of stainless steel are only weakly magnetic or not magnetic at all, and a magnet can also stick to a thin plated layer over something else.
Are non-ferrous metals recyclable?
Yes. Common non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, lead and zinc can all be recycled. They contain little or no iron, so they are generally not magnetic.
Keeping different metals separate matters to recyclers. Each metal and alloy melts at a different temperature and has its own chemistry, so a sorted load produces cleaner recovered material than a mixed one.
Which common metals can be recycled?
Is steel recyclable?
Yes. If you have ever wondered whether you can recycle steel, the answer is a straightforward yes. It is one of the most widely recycled metals in the UK. Appliances, tools, structural steel, vehicle bodies and food tins are all common sources, and steel is recovered, processed as scrap and melted down to make new steel.
Can stainless steel be recycled?
Yes, and it is worth separating from ordinary steel. Stainless steel is an alloy that contains chromium, which gives it its corrosion resistance, and, depending on the grade, nickel and other metals as well. Those alloying elements are valuable to recyclers, which is why stainless is sorted on its own rather than being lumped in with carbon steel. Sinks, cookware, catering equipment and worktops are typical examples.
Is iron recyclable?
Yes. Scrap iron comes from cast iron radiators, baths, gates, railings, machinery and old plumbing, and it is recycled alongside other ferrous metals. It tends to be heavy, which is one reason people prefer to have it collected rather than carrying it to a recycling point themselves.
Can aluminium be recycled?
Yes. Aluminium is light, non-magnetic and recyclable again and again without losing its useful properties. Window and door frames, ladders, vehicle parts and many drinks cans are all aluminium. Because many people ask about cans specifically, there is a short section on them further down.
Can copper be recycled?
Yes. Copper is one of the most commonly scrapped non-ferrous metals. It comes from pipework, electrical cable and wiring, and hot water cylinders. Clean, stripped copper is easier to process, but mixed items such as insulated cable can still be recycled.
Is brass recyclable?
Yes. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, often golden-yellow in colour, and it is non-magnetic. Taps, valves, plumbing fittings, door furniture and musical instruments are common sources.
Is bronze recyclable?
Yes. Bronze is a copper alloy, traditionally copper and tin, so it is recycled as part of the same family as copper and brass rather than as an entirely separate material. You will find it in fittings, bearings, ornaments and statues.
Is lead recyclable?
Yes, but recyclability and safe handling are separate questions. Lead is a hazardous material, so it should be dealt with by people who handle it routinely. Roofing lead, old pipework and lead weights can all be recycled through the right route, and it is best to ask a specialist recycler how to deal with the item you have.
Is silver recyclable?
Yes. Silver in jewellery, cutlery and electrical components can be recycled. If you have a piece that could be hallmarked or has sentimental value, it is worth getting it looked at before you scrap it.
Is pewter recyclable?
Generally, yes. Pewter is mostly tin, with small amounts of other metals, and its composition varies. Modern pewter is usually lead-free, while older pieces may contain lead, which can affect how they should be handled and valued. Tankards, ornaments and tableware are the usual examples.
Is chrome recyclable?
It depends what you mean by chrome. In everyday use, chrome usually means a chromium-plated item, such as a tap, bumper or trim piece, rather than a solid lump of chromium. The thin plated layer sits on top of steel, brass or another base metal, and it is that underlying metal which gets recycled. Whether an item is accepted depends on the object and what it is made of.
What metal is commonly recycled from drinks cans?
Drinks cans in the UK are commonly made from aluminium or steel, and both metals can be recycled. Aluminium cans are the more common of the two.
To tell them apart, hold a magnet to the can. Steel cans are generally attracted to a magnet, while aluminium cans are not.
What metals cannot be recycled?
Most metals are technically recyclable, so a list of “non-recyclable metals” would be misleading. The real picture is that not every metal-containing item can be accepted through every recycling service. The common complications are:
- Mixed-material products, where metal is bonded to plastic, rubber or other materials that are difficult to separate
- Contaminated items, such as containers with residues of paint, oil or chemicals
- Hazardous components, including some batteries and parts containing substances like mercury
- Pressurised containers, such as gas bottles and aerosols that are not empty
- Electrical and electronic products, which usually need a separate collection route
- Items needing specialist processing, including radioactive metals
- Local facility restrictions, since every site sets its own rules
At Williams Metal Recycling we can collect most metals, but we do not take radioactive metals or fridges and freezers because of the refrigerants and insulation chemicals they contain. If something you have is not on the list, get in touch and we will tell you whether we can take it.
Can metal go in your household recycling bin?
Some can. Many councils accept metal packaging such as food tins and drinks cans in the household recycling collection, and empty aerosols and foil are often accepted too. What is allowed varies between local authorities, so check your own council’s website before filling the bin.
Larger scrap metal objects, such as radiators, pipework, bicycles, old appliances or lengths of guttering, generally will not fit and are not accepted in kerbside bins. They need to go to a household waste recycling centre or to a scrap metal recycler.
How is metal recycled?
The process is broadly the same whatever the metal, though the details differ between ferrous and non-ferrous materials.
- Collection. Scrap is gathered from households, businesses, building sites and vehicles.
- Sorting. Metals are separated by type, using magnets and visual checks, with further testing where an alloy is hard to identify.
- Processing. Larger pieces are shredded or cut, and any non-metal parts are removed.
- Melting. The sorted metal is melted in a furnace suited to that metal.
- Purification. Impurities are removed so the recovered metal meets the quality needed for its next use.
- Solidification. The molten metal is cast into ingots, sheets or other forms.
- Manufacture. Those forms go to factories, where they are made into new products.
For a closer look at what happens after collection, read our guide to where recovered metals go.
Where can I recycle metal?
Where you take metal depends on what it is. In rough order of effort, your options are:
- Household recycling collection for small items of metal packaging, such as tins, cans and foil, subject to your council’s rules.
- Household recycling centre for larger items you can carry and transport yourself.
- A specialist metal recycler or scrap yard for bulk loads, heavy items, trade scrap and anything your council will not take.
If you are in Wiltshire or the surrounding counties, Williams Metal Recycling can help. We are a family-run business based in Pewsey with around 35 years in the trade, and we offer scrap metal collections for loads of any size. We cover Wiltshire, Hampshire, Berkshire and Gloucestershire. Towns we visit frequently include Andover, Devizes, Marlborough, Ludgershall and Tidworth.
Our other services include scrap car and van collections, as a DVLA Authorised Treatment Facility, and site clearance for commercial sites. You will need photo ID, such as a driving licence or passport, to dispose of scrap metal.
Have scrap metal to recycle? Contact Williams Metal Recycling to check whether we accept your material and find the most appropriate way to recycle it. You can get in touch online or call us on 01672 562 234.
FAQs about recyclable metals
Is metal recyclable?
Yes. Most common metals are recyclable, although the appropriate recycling route depends on the metal and the item it forms part of.
What types of scrap metal can be recycled?
Scrap metal falls into two groups. Ferrous metals contain iron and include steel, cast iron and wrought iron. Non-ferrous metals include aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, lead and zinc.
Are non-ferrous metals recyclable?
Yes. Aluminium, copper, brass and bronze can all be recycled, as can lead and zinc.
Can you recycle stainless steel?
Yes. Stainless steel is recyclable, and it is usually sorted separately from ordinary steel because of its alloying elements.
Is bronze recyclable?
Yes. Bronze is a copper alloy and can be recycled.
Is pewter recyclable?
Generally yes, although composition can vary, particularly between modern and older pewter.
Are metal bowls recyclable?
The metal itself may be recyclable, but the right route depends on what the bowl is made of and your local recycling arrangements. Large household metal items should not automatically be assumed to be suitable for kerbside bins.