How Scrap Yards Grade Your Copper Wire (And What It Costs You)
When you pull up to a scrap yard with a load of wire, the price you get isn't based purely on copper market rates that day. It's based on how much copper the yard thinks is actually inside your wire, calculated against their own formula, applied before you say a word. Once you understand this system, selling insulated wire without stripping it first stops making sense.
Sold on Recovery Basis
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the trade body that sets commodity standards for scrap transactions across North America, defines insulated copper wire scrap formally in their specifications circular. The key phrase in that definition: it's to be sold "on sample or recovery basis, subject to agreement between buyer and seller."
Recovery basis means the yard isn't paying for total weight. They're paying for their estimate of the copper that can be extracted once the insulation comes off. The insulation itself contributes nothing to the price. You're hauling in plastic and getting paid as though it isn't there. Except it is, and it's making your load heavier.
How the Calculation Works
The math is simple. A scrap yard takes a sample of your wire, strips it, weighs the bare copper inside, and divides that by the total weight of the original piece. That percentage becomes the basis for pricing your entire load.
Rockaway Recycling, a New Jersey yard, documents their process directly: 5 ounces of copper out of a 10-ounce sample is 50% recovery. The yard pays for the copper portion of your total weight, not the total weight itself.
For common wire types, most yards don't even bother sampling. They've processed enough Romex and THHN to know the recovery rates without measuring. The moment they identify your wire type, it lands in a pre-assigned category. The calculation already happened before you arrived.
The Numbers by Wire Type
These aren't estimates. They're documented recovery rates from Sahd Metal Recycling, an ISRI member yard in Columbia, Pennsylvania, published on their website.
| Wire Type | Recovery Rate |
|---|---|
| MCM Cable Large-gauge, high copper density | 85% |
| THHN (up to 4 gauge) Thin insulation wall, high conductor ratio | 80% |
| Romex (NM-B) Residential cable, plastic outer jacket | 65% |
| #2 Insulated Wire Appliance cords, multi-conductor cable | 55–69% |
The spread between a Romex load at 65% and MCM at 85% is real money on any meaningful volume. Same copper market, same day, different price per pound. Because of how much plastic is wrapped around it.
What Bare Bright Actually Requires
Bare Bright sits completely outside the ICW system. It's the highest-paying copper grade at most yards, and qualifying for it is straightforward: the wire must be uninsulated, uncoated, free of oxidation, and bright orange in appearance. No tarnish. No tin coating. No burnt residue. Just copper.
Because Bare Bright needs no further processing before it goes back into manufacturing, the yard has nothing to estimate. They pay for the copper on the scale, not a percentage of a total weight that includes something worthless.
As of early March 2026, copper was holding above $6 per pound at scrap yards. At that price level, the gap between selling Romex at a 65% ICW rate and bringing in Bare Bright from the same wire is significant on any regular volume.
Why Burning Doesn't Work
Some people have burned wire to skip the stripping step. It doesn't hold up.
Many yards refuse to buy burnt copper. Local laws in numerous jurisdictions prohibit burning wire, and the burning process itself damages the copper, often disqualifying it from Bare Bright entirely. PVC insulation releases toxic emissions when burned. There's no grade premium that offsets the legal exposure or the health risk.
Mechanical stripping is the only method that removes insulation without touching the copper. What comes out of a wire stripping machine is the same grade it was inside the jacket.
What Stripping Actually Changes
When you strip wire before selling, you exit the ICW recovery system. There's no insulation weight on the scale, no recovery percentage being applied, no yard formula working against you. They assess the copper in front of them and pay for it.
All StripMeister wire stripping machines handle Romex, THHN, and standard building wire within their range. Every model includes a built-in Romex adapter as standard. ULTRA GRIP Feeder Technology, standard across every model in the lineup, keeps twisted, kinked, or irregular cable feeding consistently without jamming. Every machine is CNC-machined from aircraft-grade aluminum with heat-treated tool steel blades, assembled in Canada.
StripMeister Original Pro
Drill-PoweredHandles #18 AWG to 250 MCM. Works with any corded or cordless drill. A practical starting point for contractors with occasional volumes who already have a drill on hand.
StripMeister E250 Pro
Electric · 1/4 HP DCHandles #18 AWG to 250 MCM. Variable speed control, manual wire feeding during operation. Certified to TUV/ESA/CE. Built for steady weekly volumes in residential gauges and standard commercial THHN.
StripMeister E500 Pro
Electric · Up to 500 MCMHandles #18 AWG to 500 MCM, up to 1.25 inches (32 mm) in diameter. Fine blade adjustment to 0.004 inches, lever lock mechanism, upper and lower wire guides for precise cable positioning. TUV/ESA/CE certified.
StripMeister E1000
Electric · 1/2 HP DC · Up to 1000 MCMAdjustable speed range of 16 to 85 ft/min. Built for high-volume operations where large wire comes through on every load.
StripMeister E2000X
Electric · 1 HP DC · Up to 2000 MCMIndustrial throughput for the heaviest cable runs. Handles up to 2000 MCM.
All electric StripMeister models are DC-powered, the only DC wire stripping machines on the market, delivering higher torque and smoother cutting than AC-powered alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a copper recovery rate?
A recovery rate is the percentage of a wire's total weight that consists of actual copper, as opposed to insulation, jacketing, or other non-copper material. Scrap yards calculate it by stripping a sample, weighing the bare copper, and dividing by the original total weight. That percentage determines the price they pay for insulated wire.
Why does Romex pay less per pound than THHN at the scrap yard?
Because Romex has a lower copper recovery rate. Romex carries multiple conductors inside a plastic outer jacket, which accounts for a larger share of total weight. THHN has thinner insulation relative to its conductor, so more of each pound is copper. Sahd Metal Recycling documents Romex at 65% recovery and THHN up to 4 gauge at 80%.
What qualifies as Bare Bright copper?
Bare Bright is stripped copper wire that is uncoated, uninsulated, and free of tarnish or oxidation. The wire must appear bright orange. Tin-coated wire, burnt wire, and wire with any residue or corrosion does not qualify. Bare Bright is the highest-paying copper grade at most scrap yards.
Is it legal to burn wire to remove insulation?
In many jurisdictions, no. Burning insulated wire is prohibited by local laws and environmental regulations in numerous areas. Many scrap yards also refuse to buy burnt copper. Mechanical stripping is the compliant method and produces higher-grade copper.
Do all StripMeister machines handle Romex?
Yes. Every StripMeister machine includes a built-in Romex adapter as standard, across all models from the Original Pro through the E2000X.
What certifications do StripMeister electric models carry?
The E250 Pro, E500 Pro, E1000, and E2000X are certified to TUV, ESA, and CE standards. The Original Pro is drill-powered and does not carry electrical certifications; it relies on the certification of the drill used to power it.
