How to make the most out of your copper as record highs hit

2 mins read

The price of copper has hit record highs in the last few months, with the demand for the metal continuing to rise.

From the late 80s to 2023, the global use of refined copper has more than doubled from 10 million metric tonnes to 26.5 million tonnes and trends indicate that this increase only looks to continue with sustainability being a global focus and the worldwide investment in A.I and electric vehicles contributing to the demand.

It’s an exciting time for the industry and amidst the price increases, there’s plenty of opportunities to maximise the profit of recycling copper and ways that businesses can benefit during this turbulent time.

Cable strippers

An effective machine to strip away plastic casing and reveal copper wiring for repurposing and appropriate for any size cable, including larger cables which may ordinarily be difficult to recycle.

A cable stripper such at the McIntyre 5000 stripper or the Wright’s 170 Cable Stripper will help to increase the volume and quality of the copper material available.

Cable granulators

Perfect for large scrap yards and larger volumes of copper, the MG Recycling range of cable granulators will improve the separation of the copper from the plastic (and other components in the cable), which will increase the value of copper that is recovered. 

The 380VZT model has the power to process thick cables containing hard copper at the same rate as household and data cables and the built-in Zig Zag separator will also drop the heavier copper away from the separation table where lighter copper and plastic are split at a rate of 800-1000kg per hour.

McIntyre shears

Our range of McIntyre Shears including the 150, 200, 320 and 407 model can improve the quality of braziery, the weight and quantity of the copper you produce by separating brass fittings from copper tube to make the individual components worth more money.

Balers

Exporting copper is a huge, yet necessary expense for scrap businesses to make. Using a good quality baler like the McIntyre 2035 Baler or the McIntyre 5025 Baler can effectively reduce the number of shipments that are made during a project, not only being a more sustainable way to recycle (with less of an environmental impact being made) but result in a huge cost-saving too.

So, as you can see, with the right tools you have various ways in which you can monetise on the rising price of copper; by improving the quality of copper metal you are recycling and increasing the quantity, volume and value of the material to increase your profit margin.

With both new and used machines available for purchase at JMC McIntyre, there are options for growth for any scrap yard of any size.

For more information please email: sales@jmcrecycling.com