How Scrap Metal Prices Affect Your Scrap Car's Value

If you've had a scrap car valued twice a few months apart, you may have noticed the price changed even though the car didn't. That's because scrap car prices follow the scrap metal market. Here's how it works, in plain English.

What's actually in your car

• Steel and iron (ferrous metals): the body shell, chassis and many mechanical parts. This is most of the car's weight, so it drives most of the scrap value.
• Aluminium: often found in wheels, engine blocks, cylinder heads and some body panels.
• Copper: in the wiring loom, starter motor and alternator.
• Precious metals: small amounts in the catalytic converter, which is why a missing converter lowers the price.

What moves scrap metal prices

Recycled steel is bought by steelworks and metal processors in the UK and abroad, so prices respond to the same things that move the wider steel market:

• Demand for new steel from construction and manufacturing.
• Overseas demand, because a lot of UK scrap is exported.
• Energy costs, which affect how much it costs to melt and process metal.
• Exchange rates, because scrap is traded internationally.

None of these are things a scrap yard controls, which is why every yard's per-tonne rate moves over time.

What this means for your quote

At Revva we pay a rate per tonne, and we review that rate as the market moves. When you get an instant online quote, it uses our current rate together with your car's weight, age, make and condition. If you're thinking of scrapping soon, the quote you get today is the best guide to what you'll be paid. Waiting for the market to rise is a gamble.

Why two yards give different prices

Yards set their own rates and count different things. Some pay only on weight. Others, like us, also pay more for newer cars and makes with reusable parts. Collection distance, and whether you drop the car off yourself, can also change the figure. The most useful comparison is the amount you'll actually receive in your bank account. That's why we show one clear price and pay by secure bank transfer.

Want to know what your car is worth right now? Read how much your car is worth in scrap, or go straight to your instant quote.