Commercial properties throughout Dallas produce tons of electrical wire when stripping out or tearing down a building. Electricians and mechanical contractors often come across this wire and have to decide whether to strip it or sell it as-is. Many factors go into insulated wire recycling, and we’ll break them down below.
Should I Strip Copper Wire for Scrap?
Yes, stripping copper wire will get you a higher price per pound, but only if the price difference is worth the labor. Larger wires such as 250 MCM and up are worth stripping. Smaller wires like Romex or Ethernet cables take too long to strip and are not worth the labor cost.
As an electrician, you know that labor is your highest cost. Having an apprentice strip wire by hand at a low recovery rate will cost you more than you make on the scale. Some wires are worth stripping, and some you should just sell insulated.
Recovery rate will play a big role in whether you should strip wire or sell it insulated. Recovery rate is the amount of solid metal you get from a wire once you remove the insulation. Wires that have a high recovery rate can give you 80% metal or more. These are wires you want to strip and sell. If a wire has a low recovery rate of 10-30%, you will not want to strip that wire.
How to Calculate the Price of Stripping Copper Wire
Take the weight of your wire and multiply it by the price of insulated wire. Then take the weight of copper you will receive and multiply it by the price of bare bright copper.
If you have 100 lbs of copper wire and know it has a 70% metal recovery rate. You would sell that wire as insulated and receive 100 x $2.20 = $220. If you stripped that wire, you would have 70 lbs of bare bright copper. 70 x $4.00 = $280.
If it took your apprentice 20 minutes to strip that wire, you would subtract $10 (20 minutes @ $30/hr), and your net payout would be $270. As you can see, stripping the wire made you $50 more. If you were to strip 100 lbs of Cat-5 Ethernet cable, it has a recovery rate of 25%. You would spend hours stripping wire to receive 25 lbs of thin copper wire and lose money on the scale.
| Wire Type | Metal Recovery Rate | Sell As | Should I Strip? |
| 500 MCM Power Cable | 75% – 85% | Bare Bright Copper | Yes |
| THHN Wire 10 AWG | 60% – 70% | Bare Bright or #1 | Yes |
| Romex Wire 12/2 | 50% – 55% | #2 Wire | No |
| Cat-5/Cat-6 Wire | 25% – 35% | High-Grade Data Wire | No |
| Appliance & Extension Cords | 15% – 20% | Low-Grade Wire | No |
Why Do Copper Wire Scrap Prices Vary?
Many factors cause copper wire scrap prices to vary day to day. The global copper price on the COMEX will have the biggest impact on your scrap price. Other factors that affect copper wire prices include supply and demand, your copper grade and the wire’s recovery rate.
Bare bright copper will always be the highest grade of copper you can sell. Here are some examples of what each grade of copper wire is:
- Bare Bright Copper is not coated or insulated and is 16 gauge or larger. No paint, solder or oxidation.
- Number 1 Copper Wire is clean copper pipe, wire or tubing that may have some oxidation. No solder, insulation or brass.
- Number 2 Copper Wire or pipe may have solder, paint or oxidation. Can contain smaller gauge wire that is hair-thin.
- High-grade wire is cable with 70% or more bare copper by total weight.
- Low-grade wire is coated with a lot of plastic or rubber, like Christmas lights or small-gauge wires.
What is a Wire Chopper?
A wire chopper cuts your wire into small pieces. These pieces will then be run over air tables to separate the plastic from the copper. Once the copper has been separated, it can be sold to mills as copper chops.
Recycling companies that process large amounts of wire use wire choppers. If you are an electrician or demolition company that produces thousands of pounds of wire a month, you will not want to strip all of that wire by hand.
Wire choppers first cut the wire into small pieces. The wire is then run over air tables that separate the copper from the plastic. Once the copper is separated, mills can buy it.
What are Copper Chops?
Copper chops are pieces of copper processed through a wire chopper. They are clean copper that mills can buy without further processing. Mills will pay more for copper chops because they can melt them down faster.
When recycling companies process wire through their choppers, they are left with small pieces of copper. These pieces of copper are called copper chops. Because they are clean copper with no plastic or other metals attached, mills will pay a higher price for them.
By selling your wire to a recycling company with a chopper, you can get a higher price. You will also save time by not having to strip the wire yourself.
Quick Tip | Do You Need a Stripper?
If you are stripping a lot of 2/0 or 4/0 wire, consider purchasing a wire stripper. You can buy these for around $100, and they will strip wire 500% faster than doing it by hand.
Sort Your Wire to Get More Money
When you mix different types of wire, you’ll be paid the lowest price in your bin. Sort your wire on site to receive the highest price possible.
Here are some tips to help you sort your wire on site:
- Have separate bins for each type of wire you produce.
- Remove any brass or iron from your wire before placing it in your bins.
- Keep your wire dry and out of the elements.
- Have your wire picked up regularly once your bins are full.
Action Metals | Dallas Copper Wire Recycling
If you are looking to sell copper wire in Dallas, TX, Action Metals is your one-stop shop. We offer the best prices on copper wire and will pay you on the spot. Whether you have a truck full of stripped wire or need an on-site roll-off container, we have you covered.
We can process your wire on site with our wire chopper. That’s what lets us offer you the best price on your wire. Reach out or stop by our Dallas location for a quote.
FAQ
Do I need to strip my wire before selling it?
Only if you have large-gauge wire that will give you a higher price when stripped. Smaller wires like Romex or Ethernet are not worth stripping.
What is the difference between bare bright copper price and insulated wire?
Bare bright copper is the highest grade of copper you can sell. Insulated wire is lower in price because you are selling the wire with plastic on it.
How does a wire chopper work?
A wire chopper cuts your wire into small pieces and separates the copper from the plastic. This allows us to sell your wire at a higher price.
