What is Insulated Copper Wire?

Insulated copper wire is copper wire that is covered in a non-metallic coating, like PVC plastic, rubber, or even fabric in older wiring. It comes in a huge range of sizes and shapes, from power leads that are as thick as a thumb to communication cables that are as thin as a hair.

Common Sources at Home and Work:

A lot of insulated copper wire goes through the average home or trade vehicle:

• Extension cords, even broken ones with bad plugs
• Wires from old appliances like microwaves, toasters, kettles, and washing machines
• Angle grinders, drills, and circular saws with worn-out cables are all power tools.
• Waste from renovations, like old wiring that was pulled out during rewiring
• Automotive wiring includes harnesses from cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
• Ethernet, phone lines, and coaxial cables are all types of data and communication cables.>
• Wiring for solar panels, including DC leads and inverter connections
• There are wires in both the indoor and outdoor air conditioning units.
• The connections and supply wiring for hot water systems

Copper is in all of these. And each one is worth a dollar.

👉 Do you have a box of old cables that you want to throw away? Instead, take them to Urban Copper Recycling. You’ll get cash for them.

What’s the real difference in payout between stripped and unstripped?

This is where things get interesting. There is one thing that has a big effect on how much you can sell insulated copper wire for: whether or not you took off the insulation.

Copper wire that hasn’t been stripped (insulated):

The recycler has to figure out how much the plastic insulation weighs when you sell wire with it still on. You’re getting paid for the copper inside, but the scale shows a lot of plastic that isn’t worth much.

The average recovery rates depend on the type of wire:

If you put 10 kilograms of regular household cable on the scale, about 5 to 6 kilograms of that is copper. The rest is filler and PVC. That is shown in your payout.

Copper Wire with the Insulation Removed:

Take off the insulation, and all of a sudden, that same copper weighs what it’s really worth. No deadweight made of plastic. Just copper, with a grade of Bright & Shiny or No. 2 depending on how it looks.

There is a big difference in price per kilogram between insulated wire and bare copper. When the market is right, stripped copper can sell for two to three times as much per kilo as copper that is still insulated.

Is stripping always a good idea?

To be honest? Not all the time. It depends on a few things:

When Stripping Is a Good Idea

• – Thicker cables (4mm², 6mm², and up) have a lot of copper in them and the insulation comes off easily.
• – If you have 20 kilos or more, the time you put into it will pay off big time.
• – You have a wire stripping tool. A simple hand-crank stripper costs less than $100 and pays for itself after one good load.

When It Might Not Be Worth the Trouble

• – Very thin wire (like phone lines, speaker wire, and data cables) has a low copper content and is hard to strip.
• – If you only have a few kilos, selling it insulated might be the best option.
• – Armoured cable or rubber-sheathed industrial wire with multiple layers of insulation can be hard to work with without the right tools.

The wire is still useful as insulated copper even if you can’t strip it. There is no situation in which throwing it away makes sense financially.

👉 Are you not sure whether to strip or sell as-is? Talk to the people at Urban Copper Recycling. We’ll give you honest advice about what to do with your load.

How to safely strip copper wire?

Here are some tips if you choose to strip your wire:

• Use the right tool to strip wire: hand strippers for small jobs and bench-mounted machines for bigger jobs.>
• Cut along the length, then peel. A sharp utility knife works on thicker cables, but be careful not to cut your fingers.
• Never burn off the insulation. This lets out poisonous fumes, is against the law in all Australian states, and actually damages the copper surface.
• Put on gloves because the cut ends are sharp and the old insulation can be brittle and break.
• Sort as you go: Keep your stripped copper separate from any insulated wire you’re selling.

What about the insulation made of plastic?

That’s a good question. After you take off the wire, all you have left is a pile of PVC sheathing. Some recyclers will take clean PVC for recycling, even though it isn’t worth as much as copper. When you drop off your copper, it’s a good idea to ask.

Put it in a separate bag and throw it away the right way. Don’t mix it back in with your copper; it will only lower your grade.

Some common myths about scrap copper wire

• 1. If it still has the plastic on it, it’s not worth anything.Incorrect. People buy and sell insulated copper wire every day in Australia. The price is lower than bare copper, but it’s still worth selling.
• You need hundreds of kilos to make it worth it.Also not right. You can make money by selling even a few kilograms of copper wire. Most recyclers don’t have a minimum amount, and Urban Copper Recycling definitely doesn’t.
• Wire that is old and has cracked or broken insulation is not worth anything.Nope. The copper inside is not affected by damaged insulation. If the copper is exposed and in good shape, it might even get a higher grade because the recycler can see how good the metal is.
• The price for all copper wire is the same.Not really. Thicker wire with higher copper recovery rates usually costs more per kilo than thin wire with a lot of insulation. Sorting by thickness can help you get more money.

Where does all this scrap copper wire come from?

Every year, Australia makes thousands of tonnes of scrap copper wire. Some of the main sources are:

• – When older homes are rewired, they make a lot of legacy cable.
• – Fitouts and strip-outs for businesses, like office buildings, stores, and restaurants
• – Upgrading infrastructure, like maintaining the power grid and rolling out telecommunications
• – End-of-life vehicles: modern cars have 20 to 30 kilograms of copper wiring in them.
• – Getting rid of appliances like whitegoods, electronics, and HVAC systems
• – Trade waste: Electricians, data cablers, and solar panel installers make copper scraps every day.

If you work in one of these fields, you have a steady supply of copper that can be recycled. Putting a collection bin in your workshop or on your truck is a simple habit that will pay off in the long run.

👉 Set up a regular copper drop-off with Urban Copper Recycling if you’re a tradie. People who sell things regularly are taken care of.

The Environmental Angle: Why it’s Important to Recycle Copper Wire

Recycling copper wire is one of the best things you can do for the environment, even if you don’t get paid for it. Making new copper from mined ore takes a lot of energy—about 100 million joules per kilogram. About 15 to 20 percent of that energy goes into recycling copper.

Recycling copper wire instead of throwing it away lowers carbon emissions, saves water, and lowers the need for mining operations that hurt the environment. Copper can be recycled over and over again without losing its ability to conduct electricity or its strength. It’s one of the easiest things to recycle on Earth.

Stop throwing it away. Start putting it in the bank.

That old extension cord with the loose plug. The mess of mystery cables in the bottom drawer. The wires that were left over from last year’s bathroom remodel. None of it should go in the trash.

Put it in a bag. If you can, sort it. Take it off if it makes sense. And take it to a place that will pay you a fair price for each gramme of copper it has.

👉 Urban Copper Recycling has the best prices on all types of copper wire, whether it is insulated or stripped. Stop by or call for a quote. You don’t know how much your copper is worth.

Cash for scrap copper wires