Home » News » Where to Find Copper for Recycling

Where to Find Copper for Recycling

For the scrap metal collector, an important source of scrap is an electrical cable, copper flashing, old radiators, and plumbing work. Copper from buildings is crucial, and content is estimated below:
1. In houses (estimates for a 2,100 square foot residence)
195 pounds – building wire
151 pounds – plumbing tube, fittings, valves
24 pounds – plumbers’ brass goods
47 pounds – built-in appliances
12 pounds – builders hardware
10 pounds – other wire and tube
2. In an apartment of 1,000 square feet
125 pounds – building wire
82 pounds – plumbing tube, fittings, valves
20 pounds – plumbers’ brass goods
38 pounds – built-in appliances
6 pounds – builders hardware
7 pounds – other wire and tube
3. In residential appliances:
52 pounds – unitary air conditioner
48 pounds – unitary heat pump
5.0 pounds – dishwasher
4.8 pounds – refrigerator/freezer
4.4 pounds – clothes washer
2.7 pounds – dehumidifier
2.3 pounds – disposer
2.0 pounds – clothes dryer
1.3 pounds – range
Copper Purity and Recycling
The Copper Development Association notes that were copper is combined with other materials such as tin or solder, it can be more economical to utilize it in applications where tin or lead is required, such as gunmetals or bronzes, rather than to remove these metals through refining. A scrap of this type commands a lower price than uncontaminated copper. Where contamination has extended “beyond acceptable limits,” to quote the Copper Development Association, re-refining is necessary to recover pure copper.

Leave a Comment