Tin is a chemical element with atomic number 50, symbol Sn (from the Latin stannum). Rare in its native state, tin is mainly extracted from a mineral called cassiterite where it is found in the form of SnO2 oxide. More than 80% of its production comes from a region stretching from central China through Thailand and Indonesia.
In 2017, refined tin production amounted to 364,300 tonnes, of which 31% was recycled tin. About 47% of tin is used as a base material in various types of soldering and welding. Tin is also used to create tinplate, a mild or extra mild steel sheet (carbon content less than 0.08%), less than 0.5 mm thick and coated with tin on both sides.
Do you have a large amount of tin scrap and want to recycle it? Find out where to sell your tin by weight.
Why Sell Your Scrap Tin?
Industries that use tin-based alloys produce a large amount of waste. Most of this waste comes from soldering and welding residues, defective engine parts or industrial machinery, tin-based rolled scrap and oxides collected from molten metal baths.
Mineral resources are a finite stock that humanity is depleting at an increasing rate. According to the International Tin Association, if the current rate of tin consumption continues, the resource will be exhausted within 50 years. Recycling and reclaiming tin is therefore essential. This solution has many advantages, such as:
- preventing environmental damage (soil and atmospheric pollution and deforestation) ;
- saving resources (some of which are becoming scarce) and the energy needed to extract and process the ore;
- recovering the metal by recycling it and thus producing new metals more quickly which will rapidly find their way back onto the market.
If you have scrap tin or tin alloys, you can recycle them.
Who Collects Tin?
To sell tin by weight, simply contact a non-ferrous metal recycling company such as metaconcept. We take care of transporting the waste. We offer a comprehensive service:
- Providing suitable containers if you do not have any for storing your tin waste;
- On-site collection and transport of your waste by a professional hazardous and non-hazardous waste transport company;
- Sorting, recycling and recovery.
metaconcept can take back your tin-based waste and tableware. To find out the selling price, please contact our recycling department.
Best Collection Locations for Selling Tin
There are now many collection points for selling pewter. To sell yours, all you have to do is find the point of sale located nearest to you. Internet sales are also possible. All you have to do is contact the purchasing company and they will collect the products.
Before selling your tin scrap, there are a few points you need to check beforehand. First, think about identifying the items you want to sell. Make sure they are actually made of tin. Determine their quality and purity. The price of pewter largely depends on this. After this stage, weigh your pewter items. Buying and selling pewter is based on weight. It’s also important to find out what the market prices are. Knowing the value of tin scrap allows you to sell your items at a fairer price.
After that, check the legitimacy of the online buyer. Make sure they are reliable and trustworthy. Finally, check the payment method offered by the pewter buyer. Make sure that the payment method of your choice is available. To sell your pewter products, opt for Metaconcept.
What is the Selling Price of Tin?
In addition to zinc, lead, nickel, copper and aluminium, tin is one of the metals listed on the stock exchange. It is mainly traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME), which is the world’s largest non-ferrous metals market, accounting for 80% of global trade.
Apart from a global tin crisis in 1985, the price of tin had never exceeded $22,000 per tonne until 2016. In 2020, the price fell sharply due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The years 2021 and 2022 were marked by a rise in the price of tin. Indeed, its price reached USD 41,000 on 25 November 2021. This represents a 95% increase between January and November 2021. Despite a sharp decline in December 2021, the situation stagnated for several months until it reached a new high of $48,660 per tonne on 7 March 2022.
Tin is primarily traded in a tight market, with the supply side dominated by China. However, in its fight against the coronavirus, Beijing has repeatedly closed its border with Myanmar, its main supplier of tin ore. This constraint has weighed on supply and therefore on the price. Secondly, the war in Ukraine is also having an impact on metal prices. Supply is constrained by international hazards and the disorganisation of supply chains.
Finally, whether for infrastructure or for the energy transition, demand for metals seems destined to increase. Some analysts speak of a metal “supercycle”. Indeed, if the world shifts from carbon-intensive fuels to clean energy and low-carbon fuels, there will be even greater demand for industrial metals.
Metaconcept, experts in non-ferrous metal recycling
To sell tin by weight, choose Metaconcept. We purchase non-ferrous metals from industrial processes, such as tin-based laminate scrap, metal waste from tin pottery and electroplating, oxides collected from molten metal baths, contaminated tinning or soldering baths, jewellery waste, wave soldering residues, etc. We also accept complex alloys based on tin, bismuth, lead, indium, silver, etc.
Metaconcept is a French company founded in the late 1980s and located in the Rhône-Alpes region. For 15 years, we have been focusing on recycling in a context where awareness of environmental and societal issues is growing. Our goal is to help companies recycle their waste and reduce their carbon footprint. We are also aware of the scarcity of most metal resources currently used in industry. By recycling waste, we are actively contributing to the preservation of natural resources.
We recycle most non-ferrous metals, a process that involves several stages. Metaconcept can provide you with suitable containers for storing your tin-based waste or other metals or alloys. Our team then collects the waste. It is transported to our processing plants, where it is sorted, recycled and recovered before being returned to the market. Our recycling activity is ISO 9001 V2008 certified.
Do you have any questions? If so, do not hesitate to contact the recycling team.