Recycling scrap metal is economically beneficial as well as good for the environment. To separate materials to recycle the pure product in order to create new things saves a lot of strain on the earth's resources. One of the products that are most economically beneficial to recycle is copper, as this is used in so many things and is quite a valuable material. However, if you wish to recycle copper products, there are a few things you should think about in order to do it right.
Light copper
Copper that are put into scrap metal recycling are classified in three different classes: heavy, medium, and light. The term light copper is mainly used to describe the copper you get from inside electrical wires. To recycles these types of wires, you first need to make sure you strip them off insulation so that you can return the copper in a clean state. Use cable strippers to do so; don't attempt to burn the insulation away, as this can damage the copper and create harmful fumes. Some recycling stations will let you leave the cables without stripping them, but the cables won't be worth as much as if you turn pure copper in.
Medium copper
Medium copper is often used for copper tubing. Many older kitchens use copper tubes for their piping system. If you wish to recycle your copper tubing, you first need to make sure that there are no other materials attached to the copper itself. Brass is a common material to attach to copper tubes as fittings or screws. To be sure you're turning in pure copper, you should make sure to remove all additional pieces to the tubing and return them separately, as it can be hard to tell the difference between brass and copper. Some scrap metal companies will accept a mix of copper and brass, but for the recycling price of brass, not pure copper.
Heavy copper
There are not many applications that are regarded as heavy copper. The exception might be heavy copper water tanks that are used for specialised purposes and that usually are put out of order due to being old fashioned. If you want to recycle one of these tanks to a scrap metal recycling company, you need to strip it completely of fittings, covers, and other pieces of other materials that might be attached to it. Very few companies will accept heavy copper without the hard work of separating the pure copper from other materials already done.
For more information, visit http://www.pabanimetals.com.au or a similar website.
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