Think of a length of insulated cable as copper wrapped in something the yard will not pay for. That framing explains why "scrap cable prices" draws about 590 searches a month worldwide, with another 110 for the UK, according to Ubersuggest, and why the interesting number is not a price at all. It is the share of the cable that is copper. This guide covers how that share works, what one set of UK sources says it is for common cables, when stripping pays and which dealer rules apply when you sell. The figures are UK and Indian listings, and nothing here covers aluminum cable or any particular country's mix, so use them to understand the sum, not to quote a lot. We give no prices. ScrapTrade runs a scrap marketplace and has a commercial interest in the scrap trade.
Recovery: the number that sets your payout
A UK recycler defines recovery as copper weight divided by total cable weight. By its figures, one ton of clean twin and earth installation cable holds roughly 550 to 650 kilograms of copper, so 55 to 65 percent. Telephone and alarm cable holds 150 to 300 kilograms a ton, 15 to 30 percent. Mid-grade domestic and light commercial cable runs 40 to 55 percent, and heavy insulated power cable 55 to 70. Armor drags the number down; the rest of the weight is plastic, rubber, PVC, paper tape, steel armor or jute. Take these as one source's ranges, because cable in your market may be built differently.
Does stripping pay?
Often a yard does not weigh your cable to find its copper. It applies a default, and the sources put the default for mixed insulated wire near 45 percent. So the test is simple: if your cable really carries more copper than the default, stripping gets you the extra, and if it carries less, stripping loses. Bright stripped wire is paid at the full copper rate because nothing more needs doing to it, one source says, and a Melbourne yard guide cautions that bare wire, insulated cable, pipe and radiators can be priced quite differently, so ask for the yard's own grading.
A forum answer offers the cheapest way to find out: weigh a batch, strip it, weigh the copper and the insulation separately and calculate your yield. Do that before you spend a weekend with a stripping tool. For tubing grades, see our guide to copper pipe scrap.
Which cables are worth stripping
Household and installation cable carries the most copper in the UK source and is the best candidate if you have plenty. Telephone, alarm and data cable carries little, so stripping rarely repays the hours. Armored and heavy power cable loses ground to its armor and is awkward to move. Aluminum cable we could not find priced anywhere.
Who may buy your copper, and how they pay
Dealer rules differ widely, and what follows is drawn from search summaries, not the laws. Louisiana forbids cash for copper and requires check, electronic transfer or money order, with only low-value cash purchases of other metals allowed. North Dakota requires transaction records above 25 dollars and a copy of the seller's ID, and bars cash on sales over 1,000 dollars. In England and Wales, cash payment for scrap is an offense, dealers must be licensed and ID copies and records must be kept for three years. Scotland banned cash payments for scrap from September 2016. Several Australian states register dealers and ban cash. A US trade guide compares state rules on fingerprints, photos and record retention, and we found no federal rule. All of this moves, so ask the yard.
Where ScrapTrade fits
A carton of offcuts goes to a yard. Bulk is where a marketplace helps: an electrician, a contractor or a demolition crew with a quantity of cable, stripped or not, can offer it to verified buyers in more than 50 countries. Nothing is charged to list and no commission is taken; price and terms are settled in chat, and the buyer's 5 percent deposit is held in escrow once a bid is accepted. Sellers need verification, whether they are businesses or individuals. How cable is graded there, and whether insulated lots are accepted, we could not confirm, so write to cs@scraptrade.com.au first. Australian readers can see Scrap Copper Cable: Strip It or Sell Whole.
Open questions
- Payouts for any cable: none found, none given.
- Recovery rates beyond the UK source.
- How yards price armored and aluminum cable.
- Current dealer rules, since we read summaries only.
- Whether ScrapTrade takes insulated lots.
Quick answers
Should I strip copper cable first?
Only when its real copper share beats the yard's default, which one source puts near 45 percent for mixed insulated wire.
How much of a cable is copper?
In a UK source, about 55 to 65 percent for clean twin and earth and 15 to 30 percent for telephone cable. Yours may differ.
Can I be paid cash for scrap copper?
Not everywhere. Several US states, England and Wales, Scotland and some Australian states restrict it.
Is stripped wire paid better?
Bright stripped wire is paid at the full copper rate, according to one source.
Does ScrapTrade accept cable?
Verified sellers can list scrap. Ask support about cable lots.
Sources
- Ubersuggest keyword data, global, queried November 2026.
- UK recycler guides on cable recovery, an Indian listing, a Melbourne yard guide and forum answers, as summarized in search results.
- US state, Scottish, English and Welsh and Australian scrap dealer law summaries, as summarized in search results. Statutes not read.
- ScrapTrade website, accessed November 2026.
General information only, not legal or financial advice. Recovery rates and rules differ by country.