Pop Up Scrap Yards: Not So Much

Nike Pop Up Store in Tokyo

One of the newer innovations that we have seen in retailing over the past few years is the development of “Pop-up Stores”. You will recognize these, as they seem to just appear in a particular space for a relatively short period of time and then disappear. As we approach the Halloween and then the Christmas Season, we will see more of them. The trend has been adopted by a number of well-known companies including Nike, Walmart, and Target to name just a few. These popup stores offer a low-cost way to heighten brand awareness, promote particular product lines, and, of course, entice consumers to spend.

Pop Up Scrap Yards:  Wrong For A Number of Reasons.

Although the scrap metal recycling industry operates on a reverse retail model, buying from many sellers and selling to fewer buyers, it is not immune from the pop-up trend. We are beginning to see more and more pop-up scrap yards. In fact, the situation has become so acute in Los Angeles that some recyclers have formed a coalition to alert law enforcement and other government agencies to what has actually become quite a problem.

This LA Times article has more information: https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-aug-21-la-me-metal-theft-20120822-story.html

Competition Is Good… But On A Level Playing Field.

The reason for the concern is not about competition. Competition is healthy and we are all in favor of it. But there needs to be a level playing field. These pop-up scrap yards are operating outside the law with zero of the substantial compliance costs that legitimate operators incur. They characteristically breach buying regulations and even worse, environmental regulations. We are left being tarred by the same brush.

Unlike retail stores which create a buzz around their pop-up outlets and may promote a particular product line at slightly reduced prices, pop-up scrap yards operate under the radar and may offer slightly higher prices on a variety of commodities. Pop Up They can do this because of their comparatively low overhead and because the material is just stuffed into containers and quickly sent to various locations around the world. And, it is not only the material that is being exported. Pop Up Recycling jobs are being exported along with it and often to countries where compliance standards in terms of labor, safety, and environmental concerns are also an issue.

Avoiding Pop Up Scrap Yards Is The Right Thing To Do.

We don’t think that for the few cents a pound more that may be involved, people should look to these pop-up scrap yards as a buyer for their scrap metal. They are not a sustainable recycling solution over the long term. Pop Up We need to take the same responsibility for our downstream operations as we do for our upstream operations if we are to nurture a better environment for all of us on the planet.

Some Upcoming Changes at Peel Scrap Metal Recycling Ltd.

Our website will be undergoing some changes over the next few weeks as we continue to incorporate ideas and suggestions from our customers to make the site as informative and helpful as possible. As part of this development, we will soon be accessible through various social media and we are looking forward to this development as a further means of interacting with our customers and the communities we serve.

This work is being done through our good friends at Onwords & Upwords and the Consulting. If you have comments on this blog or any others we would be pleased to hear from you. Let us know what you think.