Copper has a fairly high resale value because of how easy it is to reuse, and that is why many people hold onto it when they are renovating or remodeling structures that previously included copper. That’s also why they’ll separate the wire from discarded wires, appliances, and fixtures if they can.
Benefits of Recycling Copper
Many people don’t realize that copper is one of the few materials that can almost always be recycled to some extent. Even when it is used and recycled multiple times, it still tends to be incredibly durable and highly conductive. Recycling copper wires and pipes can have a positive impact on the environment and potentially make you a little bit of money when it comes time to demo your next project.
Where Can Used Copper Be Found?
Copper can be found in most homes and commercial buildings, and the material is used in a wide variety of projects. In many cases, home and business owners will be able to safely extract copper from electrical and plumbing systems. Depending on the age of your home, you might also be able to safely pull copper out of refrigerators, dishwashers, and other older appliances that used them for pipes and fittings.
Safely Collecting the Material
Even though copper is a relatively safe material to work with, there are some precautions that you might want to take. In addition to wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, you should also have thick gloves and eye protection whenever you are working with any type of metal. When copper pipes or wires are cut, they can create extremely sharp edges that could result in lacerations.
Heading to the Recycling Center
Once you have your supply of copper, it will then be time to head to a copper recycling facility. Most of those facilities will simply weigh your copper before giving you the current recycling price for that material. They might also need to visually inspect the copper to ensure that there are no other materials that could impact the recycling process.
Recycling copper can be a lucrative task when remodeling a building or during new construction. That is why you should always keep an eye out for any pipes or wires that could boost your income or offset your costs during those types of projects.
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