Current Copper Scrap Prices (Updated Weekly)
| Grade | Average $/lb | % of LME Spot | Condition Required |
| Bare Bright Copper | $4.20 – $4.60 | 90–95% | Clean, uncoated, unalloyed wire/rod only |
| #1 Copper | $3.80 – $4.20 | 85–90% | Clean pipe, bus bars, clippings — no solder or paint |
| #2 Copper | $3.40 – $3.80 | 80–87% | Light oxidation or solder permitted |
| Light Copper (Sheet/Flashing) | $2.80 – $3.20 | 65–75% | Roofing, gutters — often contaminated |
| Insulated Copper Wire (THHN) | $1.80 – $2.60 | 45–60% | Value depends on copper recovery rate |
| Insulated Wire (Telecom/Data) | $0.60 – $1.10 | 30–40% | Low recovery; stripping usually not worth it |
Prices are national averages. Local yard rates vary by region, volume, and same-day LME movement. Always call ahead.
What Is the Copper Scrap Price Today and Why Does It Change Daily?
Understanding the copper scrap price today is not as simple as looking up a single number. Copper is graded, processed, and priced in multiple tiers and each tier reflects a different level of purity, preparation, and processing cost for the buyer.
The copper spot price on the London Metal Exchange (LME) refers to 99.99% pure refined copper cathodes. Scrap copper trades at a discount to that spot price depending on grade. In practical terms:
- Bare bright copper trades at 90–95% of spot
- #1 copper at 85–90% of spot
- #2 copper at 80–87% of spot
- Insulated copper wire at 30–60% of spot depending on recovery rate
Those differences are significant. On a 500 lb load, the difference between bringing in bare bright vs. unsorted mixed copper can easily mean $300–$500 less in your pocket. Knowing the grades before you pull up to the yard is the single most impactful thing a seller can do.
If you’re also scrapping other metals alongside copper, it’s worth comparing the aluminum scrap price per pound and the current steel price per pound. Market conditions often move these in the same direction since they share common demand drivers like construction and manufacturing output.
How Copper Scrap Grades Are Classified
Scrap yards divide copper into categories based on purity, coating, and condition. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) publishes the official grading standards that most North American yards follow.
Bare Bright Copper (Millberry)
The top grade. Consists entirely of clean, uncoated, unalloyed wire or rod that is free of light oxidation. A single contaminated piece mixed into a bare bright load can pull the entire load down to #1 or even #2 pricing. This grade consistently commands the highest payout because it requires almost no processing before re-melting.
#1 Copper (Berry)
Includes clean pipes, bus bars, clippings, and solids that are free of solder, paint, and contaminants. The copper must be unalloyed and uncoated. If it has paint, solder, or heavy oxidation, it falls immediately to #2.
#2 Copper (Cliff)
Contains some level of impurity light solder, minor oxidation, or small amounts of attached metal and receives a lower payout as a result. Yards use #2 copper in lower-purity alloys where absolute purity is less critical.
Light Copper (Candy)
Includes roofing flashing, gutters, sheet items, and thin-gauge scrap. Often contaminated with tar, caulk, or solder. Carries the lowest value among solid copper grades.
Why Grade Separation Matters More Than Most Sellers Realise
In our experience cross-referencing dozens of yard visits and seller reports, unsorted loads are almost always graded down to the lowest-quality material present not an average. Separating grades before arriving is one of the highest-leverage habits a regular scrapper can build.
What Drives the Copper Scrap Price Today: Key Market Factors
Several forces move copper pricing simultaneously, operating at both the local and global level.
LME and COMEX Spot Prices
The most direct driver. Scrap rates are set as a discount off the LME cash price or nearby COMEX futures. When refined copper trades higher, scrap prices across all grades follow. The LME copper price page is the primary reference most large buyers use.
China’s Demand and Policy Signals
China consumes more than 50% of global copper output. Any shift in Chinese infrastructure spending, manufacturing PMI data, or government stimulus programmes creates immediate ripple effects on global scrap pricing. When Chinese smelters slow their buying as they did in late 2024 global scrap premiums compress quickly.
The Green Energy Transition
Electric vehicles use three to four times more copper than conventional internal combustion vehicles. Solar installations require approximately five metric tonnes of copper per megawatt of capacity, and wind turbines use three to five tonnes per megawatt. This structural demand shift is not cyclical — it is a decade-long floor under copper prices that did not exist ten years ago.
For broader context on how energy infrastructure is reshaping commodity demand, you can visit here for current reporting on the green energy sector from Reuters.
AI and Data Centre Infrastructure
J.P. Morgan Global Research projects copper demand from data centre construction at approximately 475,000 metric tonnes in 2026 alone, driven by the rapid buildout of AI computing infrastructure. This is an entirely new demand category that did not appear in copper forecasts before 2023.
2026 Copper Market: Record Highs and What They Mean for Scrap Sellers
The broader copper market in 2026 is operating under historically tight supply conditions. On January 6, 2026, LME cash copper hit an all-time high of $13,300 per metric tonne, driven by primary supply failures and a critical bottleneck in global smelting capacity.
J.P. Morgan Global Research projects a refined copper deficit of approximately 330,000 metric tonnes in 2026 and forecasts prices reaching $12,500 per metric tonne in Q2 2026.
What this means for scrap sellers: Tight primary supply makes secondary (scrap) copper more strategically valuable. Smelters and refiners that cannot secure enough primary cathode will pay up for high-quality scrap. This is a favourable environment for anyone with consistent scrap volume to negotiate, not just accept, the posted rate.
How to Get the Best Price for Your Copper Scrap: Proven Tips
1. Sort Before You Go — Always
Never mix grades. A load of bare bright with one painted pipe in it becomes a #1 load. A #1 load with one soldered fitting becomes a #2 loads. Sorting costs ten minutes and routinely returns $0.30–$0.80 per pound more on your top-tier material.
2. Strip Heavy Gauge Wire — Skip Thin Wire
Stripping insulation from heavy wire such as THHN is worth the effort. The jump from insulated wire pricing (45–60% of spot) to bare bright (90–95% of spot) more than offsets the labour on anything above 10-gauge. For thin telecom or Cat5 data wire, the math inverts stripping reduces total weight faster than it increases the grade premium.
3. Check for Copper-Clad Steel Before You Load the Truck
Some coaxial and communication cables look like solid copper but have a steel core. Testing with a magnet before loading saves you from a grade downgrade across the entire load. Copper-clad steel is worth a fraction of solid copper scrap.
4. Call Multiple Yards on the Same Morning
Scrap yard pricing is not standardized. Yards on opposite ends of the same city can post rates that differ by $0.15–$0.25 per pound on the same day, reflecting their own inventory needs, processing capacity, and how aggressive they need to be to fill a truck to a smelter. Three phone calls before you load takes five minutes and can return significantly more per trip.
5. Build a Relationship With One Primary Buyer
Volume sellers who bring consistent, well-sorted material regularly can negotiate rates above the posted board typically 2–5% above. Loyalty to one well-run yard usually outperforms chasing the daily high across multiple locations, especially once volume reaches 500+ lbs per visit.
Long-Term Outlook: Why Copper Scrap Demand Will Stay Strong
The global copper scrap market was valued at approximately $64.87 billion in 2024. Industry analysts project it reaching $148.57 billion by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of around 8.6%.
New copper mine development cannot respond quickly to demand increases; new projects typically take 10 to 15 years from discovery to production. This structural supply lag means that secondary copper (scrap) becomes increasingly important as a swing supply source, particularly when primary production misses forecasts.
The electrical and electronics manufacturing segment is the fastest-growing end-use category for refined and scrap copper. For sellers, this means consistent demand for high-purity grades (bare bright and #1) from electronics manufacturers, in addition to traditional buyers like brass mills and wire rod producers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is 1 kilo of copper scrap worth right now?
At current rates, one kilogram of bare bright copper is approximately $9.20–$10.10 USD (roughly $4.20–$4.60/lb). #1 copper runs $8.40–$9.20/kg and #2 copper $7.50–$8.40/kg. Prices shift daily with the LME spot rate.
How much is #1 scrap copper going for today?
#1 copper currently averages $3.80–$4.20 per pound nationally, or approximately 85–90% of the LME spot price. Exact rates vary by yard and by day always call the morning of your visit.
Is it worth stripping copper wire before scrapping?
Yes for heavy gauge wire (10-gauge and above, such as THHN). The grade premium jump more than covers the labour. No for thin wire Cat5, phone wire, or coaxial cable. The weight loss from stripping thin insulation exceeds the grade improvement in dollar terms.
What is the difference between #1 and #2 copper scrap?
#1 copper must be clean, uncoated, unalloyed, and free of solder. #2 copper may have light oxidation, minor solder, or small amounts of attached metal. The price difference is typically $0.30–$0.50 per pound, making it worth sorting if volume is sufficient.
What drives the copper price up or down?
LME/COMEX futures, Chinese manufacturing demand, green energy project pipelines, mine supply disruptions, and currency movements (copper trades in USD, so a strong dollar suppresses prices internationally). All of these move simultaneously and in different directions.
How does copper scrap price compare to other metals today?
Copper consistently commands the highest price per pound among common scrap metals. For comparison, the aluminum scrap price per pound typically runs $0.40–$0.90/lb depending on alloy, and the steel price per pound is generally $0.05–$0.15/lb for most grades a fraction of copper’s value. If you’re also working with construction waste, the price of concrete per yard may be relevant when calculating demolition project economics.