Most electrical jobs finish with a pile of offcuts. That cable is worth recycling, but how it is sorted makes a real difference to how it is assessed. This guide covers the basics for electricians, data cablers and strip-out crews.
Why cable is graded differently from copper
With insulated cable, the buyer is really paying for the copper inside. The plastic around it has to be removed before the copper can be recycled. Cable with a high share of copper compared to plastic is more useful to a recycler than thin cable with lots of insulation.
Piles worth keeping apart
- Heavy power cable: thicker single and multi-core cable with a high copper content.
- Building wire: standard TPS and similar cable from house and fit-out jobs.
- Data and communication cable: thin cables with a lot of insulation and less copper.
- Appliance and extension leads: often with plugs attached, which are usually treated as a lower grade.
- Aluminium cable: looks similar but is a different metal. Keep it away from copper cable.
Should you strip it yourself?
Stripped copper can be graded higher, but stripping takes time and the right tools. For small amounts it is often not worth the effort or the risk of cuts. If you do strip cable, never burn it. Burning insulation is dangerous, releases toxic smoke and can damage the copper so it is graded lower.
If you strip some of your offcuts, our guide to how bare bright and #2 copper are graded explains how stripped wire is sorted.
Other tips for job sites
- Cut off plugs, lugs and steel fittings where it is quick and safe to do so.
- Keep cable dry and free of rubbish, tape and cable ties where you can.
- Use separate bins or bags for each type so they stay sorted until pickup.
Selling your cable offcuts
Oz Scrap Recycling collects cable and other non-ferrous scrap from electricians and strip-out crews across Sydney, NSW and the ACT. Send a photo with a rough quantity and your suburb for a quote. Payment is by bank transfer (EFT) and photo ID is required. More details are on our wire and cable and copper scrap pages.