Scrap copper

[waitees]

Hi all

I have started to collect scrap copper wiring from old installs, does
anyone know the current rate cannot find anything on the net.

Want to see if it is worth collecting or not

Cheers Paul

 

[J@mes]

depends if you are stripping it or burning it.

I doubt it is worth it unless you are doing it in a huge pikey-style fashion!

 

[RexT]

Hi Waitees,

Don't know the price, but its worth giving the local scrapyard a ring to see what they offer per tonne(?). I have thought about doing this but how do you get round getting the PVC off the copper as surely theywould want it metal only?

Best wishes

Rex

 

[J@mes]

^^ you painstakingly strip it all off with a stanley, or put it in a pile and burn it off. Bright (stripped) copper is worth more but burnt copper is easier for you to do.

 

[waitees]

Hi guys

I used to work for my x dad he used to do a bit of scrap and take old wiring in as it is

that was like 8 years ago so may be things have changed will give local scrap a call.

 

[mogga]

Just set aside a wee corner of the shed/garage ect n build up a pile Its amazing how quickly you get a big pile we use to save it till christmass n summer then when you take it in its cost you nothing to collect and its a nice wee boost As for being worth it we Always found it worth while specialy when one job the Main DB got moved 30ft closter to the incommer and we had 2no 4core 240mm armours to our fund 2 chopsawblades and a couple of stanly blades later we got £200a body 5 of us HAPPY DAYS

 

[waitees]

Just called. Scrappy 1.40 a kilo as it is

 

[Steve1412]

If its clean u can get upto £3.50 a kilo.....its not hard to get upto 10 kgs from some old tails etc...£35 quid gets ya nice feed and a few pints in weatherspoons!!!!!! Tooks a few old busbars in once...came out with £250.....we were vvvvvvhappy that night.

 

[confused-fuse]

dont get pulled over by police as thay want to see scrap/waste removal licanse local spark got pulled over taking copper wire to scrap yard.. staffordshire police fined him

 

[waitees]

What's the best way to get all the copper clean ?

 

[Notsosmart]

What's the best way to get all the copper clean ?

I have never done it myself, but I am reliably informed that once all the pvc has burnt off you chuck the largest bucket of water you can handle over the bonfire and hey presto bright copper!

!!A word of warning though if you do burn the cable PVC releases a whole chemistry lab of toxic fumes; Hydrochloric acid and dioxines. So no burning it near schools or playgrounds, and look out for Mr council busybody or you may well get a fine/summons (especially in a no-smoke zone.) Unless the insulation is LSF (Zero Halogen)

 

[MNR]

Just take normal domestic cables as is really not worth the hassle strip 25mm and up. Alot of scrap yards round my way won't take it burnt. But I hear brick acid cleans it.

 

[eskimo39]

I have been weighing it in for the last few months. Current prices are about £4000 per tonne of bright (stripped) copper and £1100 per tonne of insulated copper. I once collected loads after refurbing a couple of hotels and spent weeks stripping the insulation off thinking I would get thousands, however I came out with £1200 which after all the time and effort (not to mention cuts) was just not worth it. I now take it insulated as the time saved is worth more to me. Last lot taken was stripped from a 2 bedroom house full rewire and I got £118 for it, no effort required just bagged up.

If I had taken all the wire from the hotel jobs unstripped I bet I would have got around £300-400 but saved around 40 hours, which at £15 per hour (if I was working) would have been better.

Prices are here: letsrecycle.com - News and information for the Recycling and Waste Management Community

It is also worth calling around, I called two scrap merchants within 5 miles of each other, one offered £2.50 per KG the other £4.05

 

[marksparky]

currently £3.60 a kilo for copper over here and 70p a kilo for aluminuim clean of course, but as for strippin = headache to much time needed recently came across some dno cable off cuts they left lying from underground supply network lot of alu and outer sheath copper havent cashed in yet tho

 

[cbw]

I get £1.10/kilo for old striped out T+E left as it is. Odd as a couple of months ago it was £1.50