Metal
Bin: Metal container or skipInfinitely recyclable — and it pays you back.
Metal is one of the few waste streams you get paid for rather than pay for. Ferrous (steel and scrap) and non-ferrous (copper, aluminium, zinc, lead) are kept apart, because each type has its own value.
This belongs in it
- Steel profiles, tubes and scrap
- Copper, aluminium and zinc offcuts
- Old machine parts and tools
- Metal furniture frames and cabinets
- Cables and piping
This does not belong in it
- Drink cans and tins (those go in PMD)
- Appliances with a plug or battery (e-waste)
- Spray cans and paint tins with contents
- Metal mixed with oil or chemicals
What happens to it?
- 1. Collected or delivered
Metal goes into a skip on site or is delivered to the certified metal yard in Purmerend.
- 2. Weighing and payment
The weighbridge establishes the weight; the customer is paid based on type and weight.
- 3. Sorting by type
Using a crane and by hand, the metal is separated by type and quality.
- 4. Smelter
The sorted metal goes to the smelter and is melted down into new material.
Where is it processed?
Sorted at De Graaf Metaalrecycling's own MRF-certified metal yard in Purmerend; melted down at the smelter.
This is what it becomes
Good to know
Rules and legislation
Metals appear in the Circular Materials Plan among the streams that must always be kept separate, regardless of quantity.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page were checked against the following sources.
- Gescheiden houden van bedrijfsafval en gevaarlijk afvalRijkswaterstaat — Circulair Materialenplan
- Afvalstromen en dienstverleningDe Graaf Groep
Checked on 18 August 2026