How to protect your scrap metal

If your job or project produces a lot of scrap metal it’s important to take the necessary precautions to protect it from theft, since it’s a common problem facing the scrap metal industry. For tradespeople like plumbers, electricians, contractors, scrappers, and roofers, the amount of scrap produced can often be worth quite a lot, so it’s important to protect what you’ve worked so hard for.

In this blog, we’ve outlined some of the best ways you can keep your scrap under wraps.

Don’t tell everyone about it

It may be tempting to tell everyone you know or work with that you’ve collected a very valuable amount of scrap metal, either in person or on social media channels, but it’s often much better to keep your good fortune to yourself. If you publicise the fact that you’re in possession of a large haul of scrap metal, it can be very easy for the wrong person to find out the news and decide that they’d like your scrap for themselves.

Don’t always store it

If you’ve got a large quantity of scrap metal, such as copper, wire, cable, or another valuable metal, from a job or project that you’ve just collected, it may be a good idea to sell it while you still have it in your van or waste collection vehicle. While it may be tempting to hold off for the best price, it can sometimes be more prudent to scrap earlier rather than later, since getting a slightly lower price is a lot better than your scrap being stolen from your storage location.

Since H&S Metals have two scrap yards in Bishops Waltham and Portsmouth, if you’re coming back from a job in the Hampshire area, it would be easy to just pop in and sell your scrap on your way home.

If you are storing, find the right place

Whether you’re waiting for the right price to come along, or you’re not in a position to sell your scrap, it’s a good idea to find a more permanent storage area to keep your scrap safe and secure until the time is right.

Local storage units are often great places to consider since they will often offer flexible storage periods, so you can store for as long as you need and they are much more secure than your garage or shed, or if you don’t have a secure place to store scrap at home.

Invest in a good lock

If you’re keeping your scrap in an external building, such as a garage, basement, barn, or shed, it may be a good idea to buy a heavy-duty combination or key lock to keep the storage secure. Don’t be afraid to use a couple of locks or a selection of locks and chains.

If you’re looking for a scrap yard where you can sell your scrap metal for competitive, up to date prices, why not visit H&S Metals in either Bishops Waltham in Southampton, or Portsmouth.