Sell scrap copper: grades, prices and how to sell
Copper is the most valuable common scrap metal, and it is priced by grade. Keep bright wire, tube and cable apart and free of other materials, because clean copper earns the most.
This guide is for businesses. If you are a householder, use your council's recycling service or your local recycling centre instead.
What is scrap copper worth?
Scrap copper is quoted per kilo or per tonne. The price follows the London Metal Exchange copper price and the value of the pound, so it can move every day.
What you are paid depends on:
- Grade. Bright, uncoated wire is the top grade. Solder, paint, fittings and insulation each lower it.
- Copper content. Cable is priced on the share of copper inside the insulation.
- Quantity. Larger, regular loads earn a price closer to the market.
Get quotes from two or three buyers on the same day and compare them grade by grade.
For current market figures, see our scrap copper prices page, which is updated every month.
Scrap copper grades
| Grade | What it is | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dry bright wire | Clean, uncoated, unalloyed wire with the insulation removed | The highest paid grade |
| Heavy copper | Clean tube, bar and offcuts with no solder, paint or fittings | Often called No.1 |
| Braziery copper | Tube with soldered joints, painted or tarnished copper and cylinders | Often called No.2 |
| Greasy bright wire | Bright wire carrying oil or grease | Below dry bright wire |
| Household cable | Insulated twin and earth cable and flex | Priced on copper content |
| Armoured cable | Cable with a layer of steel wire armour | Lower, as the steel must be removed |
Dealers sometimes use their own names for grades, so describe the material when you ask for a price.
How to prepare scrap copper for sale
- Sort by grade and keep each one in its own container.
- Cut brass fittings off copper pipe and sell them with your brass.
- Strip cable only where the higher price repays the labour. Ask the buyer for both prices first.
- Never burn the insulation off cable. It is illegal and it lowers the grade.
- Keep wire clean and dry, and store all copper securely.
- Weigh each grade so that quotes can be compared like for like.
Your legal duties when you sell scrap copper
- Licensed dealer. In England and Wales the buyer must hold a scrap metal dealer's licence from the local council.
- Identity check. The dealer must verify the seller's name and address, so whoever delivers the metal should bring identification.
- No cash. Dealers can only pay by bank transfer or by cheque. Paying cash for scrap metal is illegal.
- Duty of care. Your business must store its waste safely and hand it only to someone authorised to take it. See the official guidance.
- Registered carrier. Whoever collects your material must be a registered waste carrier. Check the public register before the first collection.
- Waste transfer note. Complete one for every load, or a season ticket for regular collections, and keep it for two years.
- Carrying it yourself. If you regularly transport your own business waste you must register as a waste carrier. In England this is free when you only carry waste your own business produced, unless it is construction or demolition waste.
- Separation at work. In England, workplaces must keep dry recyclables, food waste and non recyclable waste apart. The rules began on 31 March 2025, and firms with fewer than 10 full time equivalent employees have until 31 March 2027. Read the rules.
- Digital waste tracking. Since 1 October 2026, permitted sites that receive waste in England and Wales must record each load in the government's digital service. Carriers and dealers are due to follow in a later phase, so keep your transfer notes.
Rules differ slightly in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is a plain English summary, not legal advice.
How to sell scrap copper on The Green Alchemist
- Register your business on The Green Alchemist.
- Create a selling listing with the grade, quantity, location and a clear photo of your scrap copper.
- Browse the directory of waste processors to find buyers and carriers who handle scrap copper, and contact them directly.
- Compare offers on price, collection and payment terms, and check each buyer's registration.
- Agree the collection, complete the waste transfer note and get paid by bank transfer.
Register and list your scrap copper
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth stripping copper cable?
Often not for thin cable, because the labour outweighs the gain. Thick cable with a high copper content is more likely to repay stripping. Ask for a price for the cable as it is and a price for bright wire, then compare.
Why was my copper downgraded?
The usual causes are solder, paint, brass fittings, attached steel or leftover insulation. One contaminated piece can lower the grade of the whole container.
Can a dealer pay me in cash?
No. In England and Wales scrap metal dealers can only pay by bank transfer or by cheque, and they must verify the seller's name and address.
How much copper do I need before a buyer will collect?
Copper is valuable enough that many buyers will collect a few hundred kilos, and you can deliver any quantity to a licensed yard yourself.
Related guides: Sell scrap metal, Sell scrap brass, Sell scrap aluminium.