Find Copper Recycling Solutions Near Your Business

Most of the businesses are confused about what can and can’t be recycled. Business owners often seem worried about the most valuable metal on this planet, copper, and search for copper recycling near me. It is used in everything, right from electrical wirings, which is the best conductor of electricity other than silver, to plumbing pipes, to everyday household appliances, such as kitchen appliances, television sets, printers, and air conditioning units, as copper is a non-ferrous metal and not magnetic.

Copper’s value can be understood from the fact that, mostly like aluminium recycling that is another non-ferrous metal, the copper recycling process saves almost between 85-90 per cent of the energy required in mining the earth for virgin copper ore.

History of Copper

The word “copper” is derived from “Cyprus.” The Romans used to mine their copper from the island state, with the metal known as “aes Cyprium'' or “metal of Cyprus.” With time, it got simply cyprium, then, coprum, and finally the English spelling became copper.

As per the Copper Development Association, the use of copper by humans is estimated back more than 10,000 years, with Neolithic man utilizing copper at the place of stone around the year 8000 B.C. In Egypt, at around 4000 B.C., copper was being heated, turned into liquid, and then cast into moulds, and after 500 years, copper was being alloyed with tin to produce bronze.

While the conserves of copper on earth are far from ending, scientists have anticipated that the universal supply is equal to 8.1 trillion pounds, from which people have mined just 1.1 trillion pounds. The energy savings improved from recycling copper as compared to mining for copper ore make sure that copper remains one of the leading recycled metals across the world.

So, do you know the process of copper recycling, and how your business can benefit by recycling your scrap copper in spite of sending it to a landfill?

How to Separate Your Copper for Recycling?

While copper is one of the most expensive metals at a scrap yard, copper weakens over time, turning from a golden-reddish colour to dark brown, and, if located in continuous contact with open air, it can turn green, through the process of oxidation. This is exactly what happened to the Statue of Liberty over a long period of time.

Having knowledge of this diminishing process is important because when you’re sorting out your copper for recycling, it’s vital to ensure that you separate your copper into grades, from top to lower quality, so that you receive the best price possible in return of your copper scrap.

As you are already aware, copper can be found in quite noticeable locations around your business locations like electrical wirings, plumbing pipes, and household appliances, such as:

• Televisions

• Printers

• Air conditioners

• Phone Systems

• Desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobiles

• Refrigerators

• Dehumidifiers

As compared to electrical wiring and pipes, taking out the copper from electrical appliances can really be a time-consuming procedure. To help you out in sorting out the copper for recycling, here take an overview of some main copper recycling grades:

Bare Bright Copper

It is the most valuable grade of all recycled copper and got its name from its appearance as a bright and bare piece of copper wiring, generally not smaller than 16 gauges.

Often referred to as Bright and Shiny Copper, Bare Bright Copper should be unalloyed. It means it is not mixed with another metal like tin or zinc, to create bronze, brass, and other alloyed metals, and it must be totally free from any type of tarnish.

#1 Copper

The second most precious grade of copper is #1, which is almost similar to Bare Bright Copper. It should also be clean and unalloyed, but different from Bare Bright Copper, clean copper tubing can be incorporated in this grade. This copper tubing needs to be free of any paint, insulation, solder signs, and any other material that reduces the quality of the copper itself.

For a copper piece to be qualified as, #1 Copper tubing, it can include the least amounts of oxidation, but there should not be any corrosion present in it.

#2 Copper

The third most priceless grade of copper is #2 Copper, which is normally dirtier than the two other grades mentioned above. This grade has paint, solder marks, and other miscellaneous defects on them, and the level of oxidation may be higher than grade #1 Copper.

There is a high possibility that the majority of the copper recycling available in your business have #2 copper. As compared to the two above grades, copper ends and fittings are accepted in this grade.

#1 Insulated Wire

#1 Insulated Wire is the fourth most valuable grade of copper. It comprises any clean copper wires and cables that are 16 gauge or bigger, and also should be clean, unalloyed, and usually in good condition.

Its insulation doesn’t need to be removed, though to do so would enhance its grade to Bare Bright Copper, and then the price of copper will also increase.

#2 Insulated Wire

It is the fifth most valuable grade of copper recycling. This grade allows for a varied mix of unalloyed copper wire covered in plastic insulation, with wires lesser than 16 gauge being allowed, in the majority of cases.

Different from the #1 Insulated Wire grade, copper that comes under the #2 Insulated Wire grade can be covered with nickel, tin, and other metals, but the coating should not be too thick, as per a standard specification.

Metal Merchants- Copper Recycling Solutions

At Metal Merchants, we help small and large businesses find suitable recycling solutions for all of their waste sources to keep valuable metal out of landfills and earn a good price in return of scrap copper lying at your stores, factories, or offices.

If you are looking for copper recycling near me, reach out to us online today!