Does scrap value differ enough between copper cable, PVC-sheathed wire, and steel conduit to be worth separating on-site?
Short answer: Yes, significantly — clean bare copper is typically worth several times more per kilo than PVC-sheathed insulated wire (since the insulation adds weight without scrap value and often requires extra processing), and both are worth considerably more than steel conduit or fittings, so for any electrician or trade generating a meaningful mix of these materials, keeping them separate rather than combining them into one load is one of the highest-value habits worth building.
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List Free →Why the value gap is so large
Copper’s value comes from the metal itself, so clean bare copper (no insulation, no contamination) earns the highest rate; insulated wire earns less per kilo partly because a portion of the weight is non-metal insulation, and partly because it may require extra processing before the copper is usable; steel conduit and fittings are ferrous scrap, which trades at a materially lower rate than copper across the board.
The practical impact of mixing these
A mixed load gets priced down to reflect the lowest-value or hardest-to-process component — separating even roughly at the point of removal captures most of this value difference for minimal extra effort.
Where to draw the line
Perfect sorting isn’t necessary — three rough categories (bare copper, insulated wire, everything else) captures the large majority of the available price difference without adding meaningful complexity to your workflow.
How ScrapTrade Helps
ScrapTrade lists current pricing by material grade, so you can see exactly how much separating copper from conduit is actually worth in dollar terms.
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