[Borderline OT] Scrap Copper prices

[Vortex4]

I have had a pile of scrap pipes and fittings accumulating behind my garage for a few years. Maybe 15-20 kilos.

Took it to the non ferrous metal merchant yesterday and he gave me 55 quid! Staggering. I shall be having an unscheduled curry this weekend as a direct result.

I must have the same amount of copper again if I dig around. There's good value in those old pipes.

[Bolted]

China is hoovering resources back up to pre-crash levels:

[Vortex4]

China is hoovering resources back up to pre-crash levels:

3.3 USD per pound = ~7.25 USD per kg = ~ 4.50 quid per kg

You know I was looking in Homebase the other day and was surprised at the (low) price of copper pipe compared to B&Q. IIRC about 10% cheaper.

Must be that Homebase stock is slow moving.

It's clear that copper prices are 10% up in the last month:

[Dave Osborne]

advised that if you fancy weighing in your copper cables and you notice that copper wire is £3800/tonne whereas 45% insulated cable is "only" £1200/tonne don't be tempted to put your cable on the bonfire to burn the insulation off. It's illegal[1][2] to do so and the recycler will not be happy either, as he could get into trouble for receiving and will give you a lower price than you might expect, if anything at all. Insulated copper wire is recycled *not* by burning, but by grinding the cables up and floating the plastic off.

[1]Belfast Telegraph. "The remains of a fire at the site [...] suggested it had been used to extract copper from the wire in an illegal process that can release noxious chemicals into the environment. The DoE confirmed that it is illegal to burn waste in this way as it is likely to be harmful to the environment under the Clean Air Act." [2] RSC Chemistry World. "Incineration of e-waste also produces potentially hazardous by-products, mainly dioxins, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, caused by burning PVC plastic and wire insulation. Materials containing PVC are precursors to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). These are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention, a global treaty drawn up to protect human health and the environment. To make matters worse, according to researchers from Tohoku University in Japan, copper acts as a catalyst for the formation of PCDD/Fs during the combustion of PVC. So burning all that PVC-insulated copper wiring, may lead to even higher emissions of PCDD/Fs."

Cheers, DaveyOz

[Usenet Nutter]

So is it illegal to strip it out manually ..albeit possibly impractical for anyhting less than small amounts .

[tony sayer]

In article , Vortex4 scribeth thus

You'll know when prices are on the up .. your lights will go out, phone will cut off and the trains will stop running as Mr P Pikey and his mates are on the nick again;(...

[Steve Walker]

Ahah, could we all use that as a reason to persuade the Telecoms companies that fibre to the home is a good idea?

SteveW

[Bolted]

It used to be a major strand of Remploy's business, I don't know whether it still is.

[Onetap]

Mr.Pikey and his many inbred relatives break into building sites and burn the cable reels on site. They return later and collect the metal; less weight for him to move in his unregistered Transit. I don't think the release of hazardous toxins is high up on his list of priorities. I don't think the council jobsworths bother them much, too busy inspecting builders' vans for illicitly transported waste or handing out littering tickets to schoolkids. Where's Tony Martin when you need him?

[ARWadsworth]

Mr.Pikey and his many inbred relatives break into building sites and burn the cable reels on site. They return later and collect the metal; less weight for him to move in his unregistered Transit. I don't think the release of hazardous toxins is high up on his list of priorities. I don't think the council jobsworths bother them much, too busy inspecting builders' vans for illicitly transported waste or handing out littering tickets to schoolkids. Where's Tony Martin when you need him?

They should burn LSF (or is it now LSHF) cables instead.

Adam

[Clot]

Too true. I'm aware of a(n) utility co. fully compliant with licensing that was receiving weekly compliance visits from the Environment Agency at a particular site for many years where there had never been any infringement and any would have posed minimal risk to the environment. Within yards of that Depot, Mr Pikey would camp dumping all sorts of crap all of which constituted more than one offence and definite damage to the environment - never visited. Too risky!

[Dave Osborne]

It's not illegal to strip out manually; just don't set fire to the insulation or dissolve it off with solvent.

The insulation can go to landfill. The bright copper wire you strip out will nett you top dollar at the scrappie.

It just depends what cable you have. If you have a lot of computer cable (which has very little copper in) be sure to cut the plugs off, but don't bother to strip it.

If you have offcuts of SWA then strip it manually to separate the steel, copper and plastics.

You can theoretically weigh the steel in for £120/tonne, but unless you've got a lot of it (at least 100kg) you'll get practically nowt for it.

Brass is good also. If you're doing any plumbing, keep any taps or compression fittings as well as copper. You can weigh it all in.

[JimK]

what's brass going in for these days?

JimK

[Dave Osborne]

two grand a tonne.

[geoff]

In message , Vortex4 writes

No semi-formed baths knocking around then ?

[dennis]

Hopefully somewhere he can't get an illegal firearm. There are enough criminals with illegal firearms without letting a con have one.

[Andrew Gabriel]

not forgetting all that nice new gas pipework installed all around the outside of your house...

[ARWadsworth]

And they do take it.

3m of 22mm pipe was removed from the external wall of a house I was working at just before Christmas. At least they turned the gas off before pinching the pipe.

Adam

[Andrew Gabriel]

It had become a big problem just before the copper price crashed at the beginning of the recession, and will surely return again. Actually, I don't think such an installation should be permitted in copper.

That's unusual.

[ARWadsworth]

Probably smoking a cig!

Adam