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Insulated copper wire scrap · buyers, suppliers and prices
Insulated copper wire scrap is copper wire or cable that still has its plastic or rubber coating. Recyclers and scrap yards sell it, and cable granulating plants and scrap traders buy it, paying on the recovery: the share of copper left once the insulation is removed. On Copper Supply you can post a free requirement or offer and deal only with members who have passed an ID check.
Insulated wire scrap is paid on its recovery: the share of copper left after the insulation is removed. The buyer prices that copper as a percentage of the LME or a discount per tonne, then applies it to the recovery. A lot with 60% recovery is paid on about 600 kg of copper per tonne, less the cost of processing it and of disposing of the plastic.
The cable type, the tested recovery, contamination, location, freight and import rules all move the price. Copper granules made from the cable later sell close to the price of clean No. 1 scrap.
Payment is usually TT after inspection at loading, with the final price adjusted to the recovery tested at the buyer's plant. On Copper Supply you can price a listing as a % of LME on the Cu content, LME − US$/t, a fixed price, or open to offers.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Copper wire or cable that still has its plastic, rubber or other insulation. It comes from demolition, cable offcuts, old electrical systems and cars. It is processed by stripping or granulating to recover the copper.
Recovery is the share of the weight that is copper once the insulation is removed. It ranges from below 40% for thin data cable and harness wire to above 80% for some thick power cable. Buyers pay on the tested recovery.
The copper content, found from the recovery, is priced as a percentage of the LME or a discount per tonne. Processing and plastic disposal costs are deducted. The cable type and contamination move the price.
Cable granulating and stripping plants and the scrap traders who supply them. Many are in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Turkey and Europe. Some countries, including China, do not accept unprocessed cable under their scrap import rules.
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Post it free. Members who trade it get an email within minutes, and only ID-checked people can contact you.
Typical insulated copper wire scrap specification
It can be. Under the Basel Convention and many national rules, cable scrap may be treated as waste, and some types are hazardous. Check the export and import rules in both countries before you ship.
Take a sample from different parts of the lot, strip or granulate it, and weigh the copper against the total. Have your inspector witness the test, and agree in the contract how recovery will be measured at the buyer's end.
Independent inspection is the backbone of safe copper trading. What an inspector checks, which report you need at which stage, and how to verify one.