Things You Need To Know When Recycling Copper
Posted on: 11 June 2021
There are many recyclable metals that you can take to a scrap yard or recycler and turn in for a few dollars, but one of the most common is copper. Copper is found in many products, and the value of copper can be good for high-quality copper, but there are some things you should know before recycling the copper you are collecting.
Where To Find Copper
Copper is a good conductor of electricity, so it is often used to make wiring found in houses, cars, and even small electronics. It is also used in plumbing because it does not transmit toxins to the water flowing through it, and it is naturally anti-corrosive.
Often houses and buildings scheduled for demolition are an excellent source of copper, but you should never remove the copper from a structure without first talking to the contractor or property owner. It is possible to find demolition companies that will work with you and allow you to recover the material for copper recycling, but seek out those relationships first, and you may find you have a good flow of material to sell if you are willing to do the work to get it out of the building.
Some people have created entire businesses based around copper recycling that are profitable enough to provide a living. Just make sure that your source of copper is reliable and legal.
Copper Prices
Pure copper will always be more valuable to any recycler because it does not need to be cleaned and sorted. If the copper you take to the recycler is mixed with other materials, they will often accept it, but the price the recycler will pay for it will be lower.
Copper recycling involves some work if you want to get the best price for the material, and it can be advantageous to store copper until you have a large amount of it and then sell it when the price is high. If you are working with copper wire, removing the insulation from the wire makes it more valuable, and the recycler will pay more for it. Stranded wire is not as valuable as solid wire, so focusing on the solid wire found in homes or buildings is more profitable than the copper wire used in automobiles or small electronics.
Copper pipes should have all the fittings that contain solder cut off to make it more valuable, but save the fittings and sell those as a separate lot because they are still valuable. Soft copper tubing that uses brass ends should have the ends removed as well. Taking the time to sort the metal will add significantly to the value and increase the profits you can make with copper recycling.
Share