Scrap Copper Prices & Info

To qualify as bare bright copper wire, it must be cleared off of any insulation or coatings, leaving only the clean wires of copper before selling it to a scrapyard. There should be no signs of heavy oxidisation or oils on the wire, which is why external marks of paint, impurities, or tarnishing will disqualify it from the classification. Copper piping is unfortunately not a part of this classification.

Why Is Dry Bright Copper Highly Valued?

Bare bright copper wire fetches a decent price in UK’s scrap market, averaging at between £3,400 – £4,800 per ton depending on the metal markets at the time. Today’s average UK price can be seen below. Bright copper wire holds incredible value even for scrap because of its wide appeal as a recyclable material.

The main reason for this is that untarnished copper makes is used for a variety of electronic devices and equipment used on a general basis. Copper is a good conductor for electricity, which is why a large portion of electronic devices utilise the simple little metal. Furthermore, copper products are incredibly long-lasting and durable, which is why recycling copper provides a great environmental benefit.

Clean copper electro, which is otherwise known as ‘Busbar’, is a flat bar, strip or rod primarily used to conduct electricity. As its name suggests, clean copper electro is typically free of any impurities to its surface.

Why Is Clean Copper Electro Highly Valued?

Generally speaking, clean copper electro can be sold for a decent price per tonne.

It is usually valued between £4,500 – £5,000.

Yet it’s important to remember that there is no fixed price for clean copper electro as the monetary value of all scrap copper metals depends on the supply and demand for them.

The price of clean copper electro is also dependent on both its quantity and quality. 

However, if you are interested in selling clean electro copper and would like to know how much you could earn for it, then please see the current, estimated price for clean electro copper provided below.

Hard drawn copper is scrap copper wire that’s been drawn through a series of dies in order to reduce the size of its diameter. It is a high conductor of heat and electricity. Additionally, hard drawn copper is strong and can resist breaking under tension.

Why Is Hard Drawn Copper Highly Valued?

The value of any grade of scrap copper can change on a day-to-day basis as prices depend on whether it’s in high supply and demand.

If you are looking to sell hard drawn copper to a local scrap metal dealer, then please see the current, estimated price we have provided below as a guide to see how much you could potentially earn.

Greasy bright wire is often used in lead armoured, underground cables and, as its name suggests, is coated with a layer of grease.

Why Is Greasy Bright Wire Highly Valued?

Greasy bright wire is frequently valued at a reasonably high price, however it’s important to keep in mind that the daily price of any scrap copper mainly depends on supply and demand. Other factors such as the quantity and quality of greasy bright wire could also impact its price.

However, this estimate should only be used as a guideline due to how often the value of greasy bright wire changes.

Copper tubes are easy to come by as they can be found in central heating systems, but for a scrap copper tube to be classified as “new” it needs to be clean and not be contaminated by any paint, solder or fittings. New copper tubes are also different from copper pipes as they have a small outside diameter and are ideal for systems which need smaller diameters.

Why Is New Copper Tube Highly Valued?

The reason why new copper tubes are valued more than regular copper tubes is due to melting temperatures.

The melting point of copper is approximately 1084°c and this could be negatively impacted by copper that has been contaminated by substances with filler metals such as solder or metal fittings with a higher melting point.

Due to this, it’s important to make sure that your “new” copper tubes are free of any impurities before going on to sell them.

To better understand how much you could potential receive for new copper tubes, please see the current, estimated price below.

Heavy copper is typically copper piping which has no fittings and no metallics attached to it.

It can have paint, dust or solder on it so long as this is less than 2%.

As its name suggests, heavy copper is much heavier than other types of scrap copper.

Why Is Heavy Copper Highly Valued?

Since the price for scrap copper is measured per kilogram, heavy copper is usually valued at a high price due to its weight.

To better understand the value of heavy copper today see the estimated value listed below.

Often recognised for its dirty appearance, no. 2 copper is made up of a mixture of unalloyed wire, pipe or solid metal that has been tarnished with coatings such as paint or solder.

No. 2 copper can also be identified by its minimum copper content of around 94%-96%. 

If you have no. 2 burnt copper, then it can also be categorised as no. 2 copper. This kind of no. 2 Copper is a cable that’s been burned in order to remove the plastic covering the bare copper underneath. It’s important to note that, no. 2 burnt copper will have a darker colour than regular no. 2 copper due to this process.

Why Is No. 2 Copper Highly Valued?

Despite its dirty appearance, no. 2 copper is arguably the third most valuable grade of scrap copper due to how easy it is to find in household central heating systems.

Keep in mind that no. 2 copper fittings that are damaged due to oxidation might not be accepted by a scrap metal dealer as this diminishes the copper’s value. However, no. 2 copper fittings with oxidation can be accepted for sale if the damage is small.

This price range should only be used as a guideline as the monetary value of any metal frequently changes due to supply and demand.

Copper tanks/cylinders are used in central heating systems.

Designed to conduct heat quickly, they are ideal for keeping UK households warm.

Why Are Copper Tanks/Cylinders Highly Valued?

It’s worth your time to consider selling your old copper tank/cylinder for scrap.

The weight of copper tanks/cylinders alone will likely lead to a high price as the price of scrap copper is measured per kilo.

Additionally, if you clean your copper tank/cylinder of any excess material such as insulating foam, water, or its heating element then its price may increase on account of good quality. 

It is important to remember that prices for all types of scrap metal can change due to supply and demand.

If you would like a guideline for how much you could earn for scrap copper tanks/cylinders, then see the current, estimated price listed below.

Braziery copper usually refers to soldered copper joints or small brass fittings (nuts) found in most plumbing systems.

For any copper joints or fittings to be categorised as braziery scrap copper, they need to contain no brass or other contaminating metals.

Why is Braziery Copper Highly Valued?

Braziery copper joints and fittings are easy to come by and can be valued highly on quantity.

However, it’s important to remember that there isn’t a set value for braziery copper and that the value of all scrap metals can fluctuate due to the changes in supply and demand.

If you are interested in selling braziery copper, then feel free to take a look at our estimated, current price for this type of scrap copper below.

To put it simply, lead dipped/washed braziery is lead that has been dipped or washed in braziery.

Lead dipped/washed braziery can also be known as lead wash rads/radiators.

Why is Lead Dipped/Washed Braziery Highly Valued?

As it can mainly be found in boiler systems, lead dipped/washed braziery are in good supply to sell at the scrap yard.

Unfortunately, there is no set monetary value for lead dipped/washed braziery as the price for all types of scrap copper depends on supply and demand.

Despite this, we have provided the current, estimated value of lead dipped/washed braziery below for you to use as a guideline for how much you could receive.

An electric motor for scrap must weigh under 1 tonne.

Electric motors are used to convert electricity into energy and they can be found in any machine or appliance that is powered by electricity.

Why are Electric Motors highly valued?

There is no shortage of electric motors and they can be sold for their scrap copper for a decent price.

Unfortunately, there is no set monetary value for scrap copper electric motors as prices fluctuate due to supply and demand.

However, if you would like a guideline on how much an electric motor can be, then see the estimated, current value below.

Like electric motors, starter motors and alternators are machines which convert electricity into energy.

Old starter motors and alternators for scrap are mainly found in vehicles which have reached the end of their life.

Why are Starter Motors & Alternators highly valued?

Like electric motors, it’s easy to find starter motors and alternators to sell as scrap copper.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a set monetary value for starter motors and alternators as the scrap copper prices for all of these grades can change due to supply and demand.

However, if you are interested in scrapping your starter motor and/or alternator and would like to know what scrap copper price it might be, then please see the current estimate listed below.