Winter weather not deterring metal thieves

The rising value of base metals appears to be prompting thieves of the material to keep working through sometimes severe winter weather based on alerts sent out by recycling organizations.

A survey of ScrapTheftAlert emails sent by the Washington-based Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) and the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) shows neither the holidays nor cold weather has caused a downturn in reported thefts.

The alert system, founded in cooperation with law enforcement agencies in the United States and Canada, sent out up to eight notices in September, October and November. Holidays and colder weather did not deter thieves in at least six cases where alerts went out in December. Now, in just the first six days of January, three notices have been sent from the ScrapTheftAlert system.

Metals theft victims can include property owners, construction companies, metals service centers and metals fabricating firms, but processors and producers of recycled metals also remain common victims.

Among materials stolen in December and January include copper wire, cathode and clips, radiator scrap, aluminum sows, nickel alloys from states including Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania and Ontario.

While snow and ice in several parts of the U.S. in December has been cited as interrupting recycled metal collection and shipments, thieves seem not to have been deterred.

Counteracting the disincentive of bad weather may be strengthening prices for base metals in the U.S., and globally, with primary exchange and scrap scale prices for copper having remained strong throughout 2025, while aluminum has joined it with a recent price surge and ferrous prices have been rising for the past several weeks.