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UK Wide Metal Recycling

Commercial Metal Waste Collection & Recycling

Commercial metal waste is always worth separating. Whether it’s cans, tins, offcuts, swarf, pipework or old parts, keeping it out of general waste makes recycling easier and can cut disposal costs.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, businesses have a Duty of Care to ensure collections through registered carriers and authorised recycling facilities.

Business Waste Ltd arranges commercial metal waste collection across the UK on your business’s behalf. We provide free bins, Duty of Care certificates, and advise on rebates for businesses producing significant volumes of recyclable metal.

16,835
commercial bin icon Collections in the last 7 days
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Get a free quote

Get a fast FREE quote for your metal waste disposal

  • Free quote within 1 hour
  • Any type of metal waste
  • FREE skips, bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK
FREE bins & skips
Free Duty-of-Care certificate
Get 1 month’s FREE collections
Excellent customer care
Compliance support
Nationwide UK coverage
Free quote within 1 hour

Our metal waste collection process

  1. Request your free quote

    We’ll price it based on your waste type, volume, container needs and collection frequency.

  2. Free metal waste bins delivered

    We’ll help you decide which containers will be suitable for your site, before supplying them for free.

  3. Safe storage onsite

    Keep metal waste in the agreed bin, skip or container, within the weight limit, and away from general waste where possible.

  4. We collect and recycle

    Registered carriers collect the metal waste on the agreed day and take it to an authorised recycling facility

Get a quote now

Why use Business Waste Ltd for 
metal waste collections?

Common Waste Metal Challenges

  • Overflowing metal bins disrupt operations
  • Metal theft risk if stored unsecured
  • Landfill disposal wastes valuable materials
  • Poor storage or missing paperwork can cause problems if your waste is checked

What Business Waste Ltd Provides

  • Reliable collections tailored to your production schedule
  • Secure containers to prevent contamination and theft
  • Recycling routes for suitable metal waste, with landfill avoided where possible
  • Duty-of-care documentation for every load

Most metal waste can be recycled when it’s separated properly and not badly contaminated. Our team will provide guidance for your staff.

Interested in recycling rebates? Check out our metal recycling rebates service

Metal Recycling Rebates

Bespoke metal waste disposal 
for every sector

Sectors we serve

We’ll match the bin, skip or container to the type of metal you produce, how heavy it is, and how often it needs collecting. We can also advise where rebates may be available. Metal has value when recycled correctly.

Metal types we collect

Ferrous metals (iron, steel, mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel): Generated by construction, manufacturing, engineering, and demolition. Collected in skips, RELs, or roll-off containers depending on volume.

Non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper, brass, bronze, lead, zinc, tin): Higher recyclable value than ferrous. Often eligible for rebate depending on grade and purity. Best collected separately from ferrous to maximise value.

Swarf and machining waste: Metal chips, turnings, and filings from CNC machining, milling, turning, and grinding. Ferrous and non-ferrous swarf collected separately. Coolant-saturated swarf may require specialist treatment; our team can advise on this.

Mixed metals: Mixed ferrous and non-ferrous scrap from manufacturing or construction. Collected in skips, with value typically lower than segregated streams.

Construction and demolition metal: Structural steel, copper pipe, aluminium windows, lead flashings, reinforcing bar (rebar). Bulk skip or roll-off collection available.

Electrical and electronic metal waste: Metal components from WEEE (cables, motors, transformers). For more information, see our dedicated WEEE recycling page.

Swarf and machining waste collection 
for manufacturers

Swarf can be categorised as the metal chips, turnings, and filings produced by CNC machining, milling, turning, drilling, and grinding operations.

It’s a major waste stream for engineering and manufacturing businesses. Business Waste Ltd provides dedicated swarf collection services for manufacturers across the UK, with chip bins and swarf skips supplied in appropriate sizes.

Ferrous swarf (steel, iron) and non-ferrous swarf (aluminium, copper, brass) should be collected separately where possible to maximise rebate potential and ensure correct recycling routes.

Swarf contaminated with coolant fluid requires specialist treatment. Contact us to discuss the correct collection solution for your site.

Metal waste bins

Store metals securely and separate from other waste streams to maximise recycling quality and avoid contamination.

View all bins

  • 240L Wheelie Bins

    The standard size wheelie bin – perfect for tins, cans and small scrap.

    Small wheelie bin

  • 660L Wheelie Bins

    A larger size bin – fits more small-scale waste metal items.

    wheelie bin icon

  • 1100L Wheelie Bins

    Our largest wheelie bin – best for larger volumes of lighter metal waste, such as tins, cans and small scrap.

    wheelie bin icon
metal waste

Skips & Large Containers 
For Metal Waste

Our larger containers – perfect for bulky metal waste and high-volume manufacturing waste.

View our skips

Contact us today for a fast and free metal waste disposal quote

Get a quote

Read Our Customer Reviews

Business Waste Ltd

4.6 Star Rated (218 Google reviews)

5 Star Rating

Efficient communication

We have worked alongside Business Waste for quite a few months now, and their efficiency with communication and resolving queries is great. Allie especially is a pleasure to liaise with. Great company from a B2B perspective

Flo Bolton-Smith

5 Star Rating

The real definition of service

The service received was simply outstanding. Business Waste gave good advice and a demonstration of a willingness to help and get me a solution.

Gregory Harrand

5 Star Rating

Great company

Great company to deal with, special thanks to Danielle who is always on the ball and sort any issues out instantly with proactive involvement with follow up phone calls and emails. I would recommend her to be the next PM to get things done, oh and as a company to deal with all the waste needs for your business.

Top Deals Online

5 Star Rating

Excellent service set up process

I was impressed by the speed of setting up the service. I made a single phone call to Business Waste and all the necessary paperwork was done efficiently.

Yahya Saeed

Trusted by 30,000+ UK Businesses

Metal waste compliance and paperwork

Work with us and you’ll receive:

  • Licensed carriers and secure transport
  • Recycling and recovery rather than landfill
  • Waste transfer notes for non-hazardous loads, with records kept for two years
  • Storage and segregation guidance for your team

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act (2013):

Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, scrap metal dealers in the UK must be licensed and registered with the local authority.

Cash payments for scrap metal are prohibited; payment must be made by cheque or bank transfer only to an identifiable account.

This legislation means businesses cannot legally receive cash for scrap metal from any dealer. It also requires all scrap metal transactions to be recorded with the seller’s identity verified.

Business Waste Ltd works with licensed, registered scrap metal processors as part of our collection network, ensuring your metal waste disposal is fully compliant with the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Duty of Care requirements.

Learn more about Business Waste Ltd
man in scrap metal yard.
  • Small wheelie bin
    Free bins
  • METAL waste icon
    Metal recycling
  • COMMERCIAL WASTE
    Bespoke quote
  • COMPOSITE WASTE
    Free duty of care
  • business waste icon
    1 month’s free collections
free bins icon.

Get a fast and free quote

Get a fast FREE quote for metal waste collection

  • Free quote within 1 hr
  • Any type of metal waste
  • FREE skips, bins and delivery
  • We cover all of the UK

Metal waste disposal FAQs

  • bin shapes icon What is metal waste?

    Metal waste is usually made mostly from metal, such as swarf, offcuts, cans, tools, pipework, fixings or metal components

    Explore more about metal waste in our comprehensive scrap metal guide.

  • bin shapes icon How is metal waste disposed?

    Metal waste is usually sorted by type, then shredded, melted and turned into new metal products at specialist facilities.

  • bin shapes icon What bins should metal waste go in?

    Metal must be separated in designated bins or skips to prevent contamination and ensure full recycling. We provide these free of charge.

  • bin shapes icon How much metal waste is produced each year in the UK?

    The UK generates millions of tonnes of metal waste annually. Much of this is from manufacturing and engineering. Almost all of it can be recycled when handled correctly.

  • bin shapes icon Can my business get paid for scrap metal?

    Yes, in some cases. Businesses producing significant volumes of recyclable metal, particularly non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper, brass, and stainless steel, may be eligible for a rebate based on metal type, purity, and market prices.

    Business Waste Ltd assesses rebate potential when arranging collection. Visit our metal recycling rebates page or ask us when you request a quote.

  • bin shapes icon What is the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste?

    Ferrous metals (iron, steel, cast iron) are magnetic and are the most common commercial metal waste stream.

    Non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper, brass, lead, zinc, stainless steel) are non-magnetic and typically have a higher recyclable value.

    Keeping these streams separate during collection usually increases rebate potential and ensures the correct recycling route.

  • bin shapes icon How do businesses dispose of swarf?

    Swarf (metal machining waste) must be collected by a licensed waste carrier and should be separated by metal type where possible (ferrous swarf separate from aluminium or copper swarf etc).

    Swarf contaminated with coolant fluid may be classified as hazardous waste and require specialist disposal.

    Business Waste Ltd provides chip bins and swarf skips for manufacturers to ensure regular scheduled collections run smoothly.

Nationwide metal waste disposal in the UK

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Published 6th April 2022 by Mark Hall. Last modified 7th July 2026