KN37016 KEY NOTE METAL RECYCLING APRIL 1996

ISBN 1-85765-545-1

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary

Market Definition

THE METALS RECYCLING INDUSTRY

MARKET TRENDS

Table 1: Annual Average Price Changes in Non-Ferrous Metals (£ per tonne for primary metal), 1990-1995e

Figure 1: Annual Average Price Changes in Aluminium, Copper, Lead and Zinc (£ per tonne for primary metal), 1990-1995

Market Size

INTRODUCTION

FERROUS METALS

NON-FERROUS METALS

THE TOTAL MARKET

Table 2: Price Indices for the Iron and Steel Industry and for Steel Scrap (1990=100), 1990-1995

Table 3: Production and Consumption of Iron and Steel in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 4: Estimated Value of Sales of Iron and Steel Scrap in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Figure 2: Estimated Value of Sales of Iron and Steel Scrap in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 5: Production and Consumption of Aluminium in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 6: Estimated Value of Secondary Production of Aluminium in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 7: Production and Consumption of Copper in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 8: Estimated Value of Sales of Secondary Production of Copper in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 9: Production and Consumption of Lead in the UK (000 tonnes) 1990-1995

Table 10: Estimated Value of Secondary Production of Lead in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 11: Production and Consumption of Zinc in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 12: Estimated Value of Secondary Production of Zinc in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 13: Production and Consumption of Tin in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 14: Estimated Value of Primary and Secondary Production of Tin in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 15: Production and Consumption of Nickel in the UK (000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Table 16: Estimated Value of Secondary Production of Nickel in the UK (£m), 1990-1995

Table 17: Summary of Estimated Values of Sales of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Secondary Production by Value and Volume (£m and 000 tonnes), 1990-1995

Figure 3: Summary of Estimated Values of Sales of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Secondary Production by Value (£m), 1995

Industry Background

LONDON METAL EXCHANGE (LME)

FERROUS SCRAP

NON-FERROUS SCRAP

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS

EXHIBITIONS

Competitor Analysis

LEADING METAL PROCESSORS

FERROUS SCRAP

NON-FERROUS SCRAP

Table 19: Leading Metal Processors by Value (£m), 1993-1995

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

FERROUS METALS

NON-FERROUS METALS

Buying Behaviour

COLLECTION

FERROUS SCRAP

NON-FERROUS SCRAP

ELECTRONICS

OTHER SCRAP

Table 19: UK Ferrous Scrap Exports (tonnes and percent), 1994

Outside Suppliers to the Industry

FERROUS METALS

NON-FERROUS METALS

PRECIOUS METALS

Current Issues

WASTE MANAGEMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

EUROPEAN STANDARDS

Forecasts

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

FERROUS SCRAP

NON-FERROUS SCRAP

FORECASTS OF MARKET SIZE

Table 20: Forecasts of Market Size by Value for all Scrap Metals (£m at 1995 prices), 1996-2000

Figure 4: Forecasts of Market Size by Value for all Scrap Metals (£m at 1995 prices), 1996-2000

Company Profiles

Further Sources

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Demand for ferrous and non-ferrous metals responds very quickly to changes in the economic environment, and the variability in demand is often reflected in extreme movements in prices for both primary metal and scrap quoted on the London Metal Exchange (LME). A further complication in estimating scrap values is the number of different grades, qualities and prices obtained for these materials.

Key Note estimates that the total value of the scrap market in the UK in 1995 was £1.4bn. The scrap market includes: iron and steel, aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, tin and nickel, and the precious and rare metals.

The UK scrap market was badly affected by the recession in the early 1990s, when demand dropped and prices fell, causing the scrap recovery industry to contract. Many companies were forced out of business and others merged or were taken over by stronger, more financially sound groups. The trend towards a smaller number of larger groups has continued, despite the upturn in demand, as the industry is now very capital intensive. Greater resources are required to invest in the specialised machinery, transport, site infrastructure and training of key personnel. These measures are now an essential requirement to compete in the UK and internationally, both now and in the future.

Wide fluctuations in prices are characteristic of the metals industry. Markets are world-wide and buyers in different countries have different perspectives of their needs relative to local industrial and economic conditions. Some will be building up stocks and others will be destocking. What is also unpredictable is which countries intend to release metals from their strategic and contingency stockpiles over the next few years. Any such move could easily destabilise markets for primary and scrap metals.

Key Note forecasts anticipate that gross domestic product (GDP) will grow steadily, but slowly, over the next 5 years. There will probably be a pause in 1998, following the general election in the previous year, to rein in the unsustainable surge in demand from the pre-election boom, and then growth will be resumed at a modest level. Key Note forecasts, based on 1995 prices, show a 20 percent increase in real terms in the value of scrap sales from £1.4bn in 1995, to £1.68bn in the year 2000.

Text © 1996 Key Note

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