United Kingdom

The UK metals recycling industry, like many around the world, continues to navigate a complex mix of political, economic and environmental challenges.

Domestically, battery recycling has been impacted by regulatory restrictions. Lead-acid batteries with ABS casings are no longer being accepted by battery mills because the plastic often contains brominated flame retardants, which are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Under current waste regulations, any battery casing that may contain POPs must be treated as hazardous waste, requiring destruction rather than recycling. Most recyclers are not licensed to handle POP waste, leading to a widespread refusal of these batteries.

Meanwhile, the copper market has been experiencing volatility, with the LME price rising as high as US$ 10,300 per tonne in late September from around US$ 9600 in early August. Supply disruptions, including a fatal mudslide at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia, have contributed to this increase. Despite slower economic conditions in the UK, merchants have reported a steady inflow of copper grades into recycling yards, driven largely by strong market prices.

There seems to be a healthy flow of aluminium entering yards: India remains the favoured option for secondary material but there still appears to be a strong interest domestically and in Continental Europe.

Looking ahead, energy costs are set to rise in October. Although the increases target non-commodity industries, they are expected to affect energy-intensive manufacturing - including aluminium production and processing - and thus to create knock-on effects for the broader metals trade. Meanwhile, discussions are on-going regarding potential restrictions on scrap steel exports, raising questions as to whether similar measures could extend to non-ferrous metals.