Scrap copper cable
Household wiring, flex, armoured and data cable. All of it is bought insulated, and all of it is priced on one number: how much copper actually comes out.
CuTwin & earth, domestic mains cable
- PVC twin & earth and domestic mains cable
- Solid copper conductors, bare earth core
- Indicative recovery 40-55%, confirmed by strip test
- Free of steel armour, lead sheathing and CCA
Typical outlets:
- Cable granulation
- Copper chop production
- Secondary refining
What we buy
Every kind of insulated copper cable, from domestic rewiring through to industrial installation. The common arisings are household twin and earth, three-core flex and appliance leads, heavy single-core power and welding cable, steel wire armoured cable, and data and telecom cable.
You do not need to know which is which. Send photographs of the cut ends and we will identify it. What does help is keeping the obviously different types apart — a pallet of heavy power cable and a pallet of CAT5 are worth very different money, and mixed together they are all paid at the lower rate.
How cable is priced
On recovery: the percentage of the gross weight that is actually copper. Everything else — PVC, rubber, steel armour, plugs, moulded ends — is weight you are not paid for.
That percentage is established by a strip test on a sample from the load, not estimated by eye, and it is then applied against the copper price. Heavy single-core power cable might return three or four times what the same weight of data cable returns, which is why the assessment matters more here than on almost any other grade.
The indicative ranges on the copper page are a guide to what to expect. The tested figure is what a quotation is written against.
Copper-clad aluminium
A material share of what is offered as copper cable is copper-clad aluminium: aluminium conductor with a thin copper skin. It looks like copper at the cut end and it is worth a fraction of it.
It turns up most often in data cable, cheap flex and imported installation cable. We test for it before pricing, and we would rather find it at assessment than after a load has moved. If you suspect a batch is CCA, say so — it is still a saleable grade, just a different one.
Do not burn it
Burning cable to recover the copper is an offence in the UK under environmental permitting law, and it is not a grey area. It also destroys value: burnt wire is downgraded to Birch at best, and brittle burnt wire is rejected outright.
Stripping cable is entirely legitimate, and at volume with the right machine it pays. Below that volume the labour costs more than the uplift. If in doubt, sell it insulated — the strip test will price it fairly.
Every grade we trade in this metal is listed on the Cobre page. If you have material to sell, see how to sell non-ferrous scrap metal.
Perguntas frequentes
Scrap copper cable, explained
Do you buy household cable and old house wiring?
Yes. Twin and earth, domestic mains and lighting circuits are among the most common cable arisings we buy across the UK. Send photographs of the cut ends for an assessment.
How much is scrap cable worth per kilo?
It depends entirely on the recovery: how much of the gross weight is copper once the insulation is off. Heavy single-core power cable can return 60-80%, household twin and earth 40-55%, and data cable as little as 10-20%. The figure is established by a strip test on a sample, then applied against the copper price.
Should I strip the cable before selling it?
Only if you have the equipment and the volume to justify it. Stripping is legitimate and does raise the price per tonne, but below a certain quantity the labour costs more than the uplift. Sold insulated, the recovery test prices it fairly.
Can I burn cable to get the copper out?
No. Burning cable is an offence in the UK under environmental permitting law. It also loses you money: burnt wire drops to Birch grade at best, and if it is brittle it is rejected.
What is copper-clad aluminium and why does it matter?
CCA is aluminium conductor with a thin copper coating. It looks like copper at the cut end and is worth a fraction of it. It appears most often in data cable, cheap flex and some imported installation cable, so we test for it before quoting.
Do you buy armoured cable?
Yes, but declare it separately. The steel armour is a large part of the weight and none of the value, so armoured cable mixed into household cable pulls the whole load down to the lower rate.
Negocia scrap copper cable?
Envie a qualidade, a quantidade, fotografias e a localização, e daremos uma cotação firme.
ou escreva para info@mohmet.co.uk