Insulated copper wire scrap · verified sellers
Insulated copper wire scrap suppliers
Insulated wire scrap suppliers are scrap yards, demolition firms, cable makers selling offcuts, and recyclers. A real supplier can tell you the cable types in the lot, give a recovery figure from a test and accept inspection. On Copper Supply every member passes an ID check before they can message you, and you can post a free buying requirement so sellers come to you.
Live insulated copper wire scrap selling offers
No live insulated copper wire scrap selling offers right now. Post yours and members who trade insulated copper wire scrap are emailed within minutes.
Post it freeWhat a real cable scrap supplier looks like
A real supplier knows what kind of cable is in the lot, because that decides the recovery. Thick power cable can yield much more copper than thin data cable or car harness wire. They give a recovery figure from a strip or granulation test, not a guess, and they say what is mixed in: aluminium, steel armour, lead sheath or tinned wire.
What to ask for
- Cable types in the lot and their rough share
- A recovery test: a sample stripped or granulated, with the weights before and after
- Dated video of the actual lot, with your company name on a sign
- Company registration, yard address and scrap export permit
- Pre-shipment inspection by SGS, Bureau Veritas or similar
- Waste shipment papers where the export or import country treats cable scrap as waste
Check the rules first. Insulated cable scrap may be treated as waste under the Basel Convention and national rules, and some types count as hazardous. Many countries limit what they import. China, for example, only accepts copper scrap that meets its national standard for recycled copper raw materials, which unprocessed insulated cable generally does not. Check the rules in both countries before you sign.
How to verify a supplier
- Check the company in its official registry and the yard on a map.
- Ask for a live video walk around the lot.
- Test a sample yourself, or have your inspector strip it.
- Start with one container. See trial orders.
- Search names and numbers in the scam search.
Red flags
- A recovery figure with no test behind it, such as "85% guaranteed" for mixed cable
- Photos of clean, uniform cable that also appear elsewhere online
- Full payment before loading
- No inspection allowed
- A seller who cannot say which cable types are in the lot
Let suppliers come to you
Post a buying requirement with the cable types and minimum recovery you accept, tonnage, destination and payment terms. It is free. Members who sell scrap get an email within minutes.
Typical insulated copper wire scrap specification
- Material
- Copper wire or cable still in its insulation: PVC, PE, rubber, paper or lead sheath
- Recovery
- Copper yield after stripping or granulating; from below 40% to above 80% by cable type
- Cable types
- Power cable, building wire, telecom and data cable, car harness wire
- Contaminants
- Aluminium, steel armour, lead sheath, tinned wire, oil-filled cable
- Testing
- Strip or granulation test on a sample, with weights before and after
- Packing
- Bales or loose in containers
- Rules
- May be treated as waste under Basel Convention and national rules; check both countries
Selling instead?
Where it usually comes from
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Netherlands
- France
- Japan
- United Arab Emirates
- Saudi Arabia
Where it usually goes
Documents you'll see
- SCO or FCO with cable types and recovery
- Proforma invoice and SPA with a recovery testing clause
- Recovery test report with sample weights
- Dated photos and video of the actual lot
- Pre-shipment inspection: SGS, Bureau Veritas or similar
- Waste shipment notification or consent, where required
- Scrap export licence or permit
- Weight list and packing list
- Bill of lading
Red flags
- A high recovery promised for mixed cable with no test behind it
- Photos of clean, uniform cable that also appear on other websites
- Full payment before loading, or payment to an account that does not match the seller
- Refusal of pre-shipment inspection
- A seller who cannot say which cable types are in the lot
How Copper Supply works
- Step 1Post freeSay what you buy or sell: product, tonnage, price basis, delivery terms. Fraud checks run before it goes live.
- Step 2Matching traders hear in minutesMembers who trade that product get an email as soon as your listing is live, and every Monday in the market report.
- Step 3Talk only to checked peopleNobody can message you until they've passed an ID check. You see what we checked and choose who to talk to.
- Step 4Run the deal in one roomNCNDA, LOI/ICPO, offers, SPA, IMFPA and signatures in one private deal room. Run any document through a fraud check before money moves.
Free to join. Copper Supply never holds trade money and takes no commission on deals.
Questions people ask
What is insulated copper wire scrap?
Copper wire or cable that still has its plastic, rubber or other insulation. It comes from demolition, cable offcuts, old electrical systems and cars. It is processed by stripping or granulating to recover the copper.
What is recovery in insulated wire scrap?
Recovery is the share of the weight that is copper once the insulation is removed. It ranges from below 40% for thin data cable and harness wire to above 80% for some thick power cable. Buyers pay on the tested recovery.
How is insulated copper wire scrap priced?
The copper content, found from the recovery, is priced as a percentage of the LME or a discount per tonne. Processing and plastic disposal costs are deducted. The cable type and contamination move the price.
Who buys insulated copper wire scrap?
Cable granulating and stripping plants and the scrap traders who supply them. Many are in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Turkey and Europe. Some countries, including China, do not accept unprocessed cable under their scrap import rules.
Is insulated cable scrap classed as waste?
It can be. Under the Basel Convention and many national rules, cable scrap may be treated as waste, and some types are hazardous. Check the export and import rules in both countries before you ship.
How do I test insulated wire scrap before buying?
Take a sample from different parts of the lot, strip or granulate it, and weigh the copper against the total. Have your inspector witness the test, and agree in the contract how recovery will be measured at the buyer's end.
Guides
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Copper scrap grades: millberry, birch, cliff and insulated wire
The names scrap traders use, what they mean, how scrap is priced against the LME, and the checks that matter before you pay.
Read the guideHow deals work2 min read
Trial orders: how to start small without being scammed
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How to verify a copper buyer before you send an offer
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Copper countries
Other copper products
Looking for insulated copper wire scrap?
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