Copper scrap is any copper that has come to the end of one use and can be melted down for the next. It comes out of buildings, workshops, vehicles and machines: electrical wiring, plumbing pipe, motor windings, transformer coils, cable offcuts and the tubes inside air conditioning units.
Copper can be recycled again and again without losing its properties. That is why scrap copper sells close to the price of new metal, and why it pays more per kilo than almost anything else in a scrap yard.
Why the grade matters
Two loads of copper with the same weight can be worth quite different amounts. The difference is purity: how much of the load is copper, and how much is paint, solder, insulation, brass fittings or dirt. The buyer has to pay to remove all of that, so it comes off your rate.
The common grades
- Bright wire, also called bare bright: clean, bare, unalloyed copper wire with no coating, paint or tarnish. It is shiny, and it is the top grade.
- No.1 copper: clean copper pipe, heavy wire, bus bar and clippings, with no solder, paint or fittings attached.
- No.2 copper: copper that is painted, soldered, oxidised or lightly coated. Old plumbing pipe with joints usually lands here.
- Insulated cable: priced on how much copper is inside, not on its total weight. Thick power cable gives far more copper than thin data cable.
- Mixed copper: anything with brass fittings, steel clips or other metals still attached.
How to tell what you have
Scrape a small spot with a knife or a file. Fresh copper underneath shows a salmon pink colour. A yellow colour means brass, not copper. A magnet should not stick to copper at all; if it pulls, there is steel in the piece.
Look at the ends of pipe. Grey solder, fittings or flux mean No.2. Clean cut ends with no joints can go in as No.1.
What lowers the price
- Brass fittings or valves left on copper pipe
- Different wire grades mixed in one bag
- Insulation left on wire that could be stripped
- Oil, mud and water in the load
If you have a large amount of thick cable, stripping it can be worth the time. For a few metres, it rarely is. Ask before you start.
Selling copper scrap in Musaffah
Bring it to the yard at Musaffah M42, or send a photo on WhatsApp to +971 52 727 0105. We will tell you the grade and the rate for that day. The full list of what we buy is on the metal scrap page.
Common questions
What is the highest grade of copper scrap?
Bright wire, also called bare bright: clean, bare, uncoated copper wire with no tarnish.
Is copper pipe No.1 or No.2 copper?
Clean pipe with no solder, paint or fittings is No.1. Pipe with soldered joints, paint or heavy oxidation is No.2.
Is it worth stripping copper cable before selling it?
For a large amount of thick cable, often yes. For small amounts or thin cable, the labour is usually worth more than the difference in price.
