How to Get Copper Out of Wire and Cable

The short answer: strip thick cable, and bring thin cable as it is. Stripped copper wire is bright copper, the best-paid copper grade we buy. But we also buy cable with the insulation on, graded by how much of its weight is copper, so stripping only pays when there is enough copper inside to be worth the time.

Is it worth stripping?

Look at a cut end. In heavy power cable, most of what you see is copper, and the insulation comes off in long clean lengths. In data cable, phone cable and thin flex, the copper is a few fine strands inside a lot of plastic. You can spend an afternoon on a bag of it and end up with a handful of copper.

• Thick power cable, single or multi-core: usually worth stripping.
• Extension leads and appliance cords: borderline. Strip them if you have the time; if not, they go as insulated wire at around 40% copper.
• Data cable, phone cable and thin flex: not worth it. They go as insulated wire at around 20% copper.
• Car wiring looms: not worth it. The wires are thin and the plugs are moulded on, so looms are bought whole as car wire.

How to strip copper wire by hand

1. 01Only ever cut cable that has been disconnected and removed. Never cut into a cable that could be live.
2. 02Cut it into lengths you can handle, about a metre at a time.
3. 03For multi-core cable, slit the outer sheath lengthwise with a utility knife, peel it back and cut it off. Then do each core.
4. 04For each core, run the knife along the insulation with light pressure, just deep enough to split it without nicking the copper, and peel the copper out.
5. 05For thinner wire, a hand wire stripper set to the right gauge is faster and safer than a knife.
6. 06Wear gloves, and always cut away from yourself.

If you have a lot of thick cable, a bench-mounted cable stripper takes most of the effort out of it.

Never burn it

Burning cable to get the plastic off is against the law in NSW: coated wire is on the list of things that must not be burned. The smoke is toxic, and it costs you the grade. Burnt wire is blackened and oxidised, and it is no longer bright copper.

What to bring us

• Stripped wire that is clean and shiny, in its own bag: bright copper.
• Stripped wire that is tarnished, in a separate bag: No. 2 copper.
• Cable you did not strip, sorted thick from thin.
• Leave the stripped insulation at home. It is plastic, not metal.

Not sure which pile something goes in? Send us a photo on WhatsApp before you start.