Six Basic Factors To Be Aware Of When Recycling Your Copper

Posted on: 17 September 2019

The more you know about copper recycling, the better you can take advantage of any waste copper you come across or your company produces. 

Copper is an important metal when it comes to scrap metal recycling. The following are six basic factors you should be aware of when recycling your copper to get the most out of your recycled copper: 

Grade

How much you can get on recycled copper varies depending on what grade of copper you have. Copper comes in various grades including Number One Copper, Number Two Copper, and Bare Bright Copper.

The most valuable grade of copper is Bare Bright Copper. This type of copper is typically found in insulating materials and should not have any metal alloy mixed in it or any paint on its surface.

Number One Copper is typically found in pipes, tubing, or electrical bus bars and is worth more than Number Two Copper. 

Electricity conduction

The quality of copper that makes it so valuable as a scrap metal is its ability to conduct electricity. Copper is one of the most conductive materials that exists on this planet. There is therefore high demand for copper in the design of electronics including in cables and wires. 

Non-ferrous metal

Another thing that makes copper particularly valuable as a scrap metal is that it is a non-ferrous metal. Non-ferrous metals do not contain any iron.

Non-ferrous metals are more corrosion resistant than ferrous metals and they are also highly malleable in comparison. This makes them generally more valuable as scrap metal than ferrous metals. 

Items commonly containing copper

Scrap copper can be salvaged from a variety of different items. Common sources of scrap copper include circuit boards, appliances like washing machines and air conditioners, cellphones, cameras, and light fixtures. 

Improvement of value

The value of scrap copper can be improved if the copper is processed properly. The value of scrap copper is higher when the metal is separated out from other metals and items like clippings, bus bars, and tubing. 

Also, scrap yards may give more for copper when the metal has been separated according to grade. 

Recycling possibilities

One thing it's important to realize about copper is that copper is completely recyclable. As it is, a significant percentage of the copper used in the United States was sourced from a scrap yard and has been recycled.

Also, a significant percentage of the copper that has been produced by humanity throughout history is still in use. Because of its usefulness, copper retains its value well and can be recycled again and again. Contact a company, like Beartown  Recycling, for more help.

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