Copper and brass production scrap
Copper and copper-alloy offcuts, wire and turnings. One of the highest-value scrap streams, so buyers expect an accurate description and clean separation.
What it is
Bare copper wire and busbar, copper tube offcuts, insulated wire, and brass or bronze solids and turnings from machining and stamping.
Typical sources
- Electrical, motor and transformer manufacturers
- Wire harness and cable plants
- Plumbing, valve and fitting makers
- HVAC coil producers
What buyers need to quote
- Metal (copper, brass or bronze) and form (solids, wire, tube or turnings)
- Bare, tinned, plated or insulated
- For insulated wire: insulation type and estimated copper recovery
- Oil content of turnings
- Tonnes per month
Photo tips
- Close-ups of cut ends, showing bare or tinned metal
- The insulation, if any
- Turnings, showing any oil
- The sorted containers
What raises its value
- Copper kept separate from brass and bronze
- Bare rather than tinned or plated
- Clean, dry turnings
- Accurate weights
Common reasons for rejection or downgrade
- Plated or tinned material sold as bare
- Iron or steel attachments
- Mixed alloys
- Oily or wet turnings
Specifications vary by buyer. The final grade is agreed between you and the buyer against the buyer's specification or recognised industry specifications such as ReMA (formerly ISRI).