MONTREAL (RecyclingMonster): #2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap is an insulated copper-wire category in which the conductor remains covered by plastic, rubber or another insulating material. Its scrap value depends largely on the amount of copper that can be recovered after insulation and other non-copper components are removed.

What Is #2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap?

Under the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) specifications, Droid / Insulated Copper Wire Scrap consists of No. 2 copper wire, as defined under the Birch specification, with various types of insulation.

The material is sold on a sample or recovery basis, subject to agreement between buyer and seller. The presence of jelly-filled wire is also subject to buyer-seller agreement.

This means #2 insulated copper wire should not be classified solely by its appearance or wire gauge. The underlying conductor and the buyer's specifications are important grading considerations.

Understanding Copper Recovery Percentages

ReMA does not assign one universal copper-recovery percentage to Droid No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire. Individual scrap yards may instead establish commercial subgrades based on expected copper recovery.

RecyclingMonster tracks multiple #2 insulated copper wire categories, including:

• #2 Insulated Copper Wire
• #2 Insulated Copper Wire 45% Recovery
• #2 Insulated Copper Wire 50% Recovery
• #2 Insulated Copper Wires 55% Copper
• #2 Insulated Copper Wire 60% Recovery

These percentages describe commercial recovery categories. They are not fixed recovery requirements established by the ReMA Droid specification.

What Does 50% Copper Recovery Mean?

Copper recovery refers to the percentage of the incoming wire's total weight expected to remain as recoverable copper after insulation and other non-copper materials are removed.

For example, a 100-pound load classified at 50% recovery would theoretically contain:

• 50 lb of recoverable copper
• 50 lb of insulation and other material

The percentage may be determined through representative sampling, processing history or the buyer's assessment of cable construction.

Consequently, two loads described as #2 insulated copper wire can have different recovery percentages and different scrap values.

What Types of Wire Qualify as #2 Insulated Copper Wire?

Depending on construction and the receiving buyer's grading requirements, commercial #2 insulated copper wire may include:

• Plastic-insulated copper wire
• Multi-conductor copper cable
• Communication and control cable
• Some telephone wire
• Small- or medium-gauge insulated copper conductors
• Mixed insulated copper cable meeting buyer specifications

The source of a cable or its gauge alone does not determine whether it qualifies as #2 Insulated Copper Wire.

Does #2 Insulated Copper Wire Have to Be Smaller Than 12 AWG?

No universal 12-AWG rule applies to the current ReMA Droid specification.

Wire size can influence recovery because larger conductors may contain more copper relative to insulation. However, gauge alone does not establish the commercial grade.

Two cables of similar gauge may have different recovery percentages because of differences in insulation thickness, fillers, jackets or other non-copper components.

#1 vs. #2 vs. #3 Insulated Copper Wire

The distinction between insulated copper wire grades requires careful attention to both formal material specifications and individual scrap-yard terminology.

#1 vs. #2 Insulated Copper Wire

ReMA distinguishes these grades according to the copper conductor underneath the insulation.

• Druid / No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire: Based on No. 1 bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire, subject to the specification's conductor-size requirements and agreed exceptions.
• Droid / No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire: Based on No. 2 copper wire under the Birch specification, with various types of insulation.

Both grades are traded on a sample or recovery basis, subject to buyer-seller agreement.

Commercial scrap yards may also use their own insulated-wire buying categories, which should be confirmed before delivery.

#2 vs. #3 Insulated Copper Wire

#3 Insulated Copper Wire is generally a commercial scrap-yard description for lower-recovery insulated wire.

Unlike Droid, #3 Insulated Copper Wire is not a standardized ReMA grade. Individual buyers may assign different specifications to lower-recovery cable.

RecyclingMonster tracks #3 insulated wire among lower-recovery commercial categories. Buyers and sellers should use the actual recovery percentage rather than assume a universal cutoff between #2 and #3 insulated wire.

Why Insulated Copper Wire Recovery Varies

The amount of copper recovered from insulated wire can vary significantly, even when two loads share the same commercial grade description.

Important factors include:

• Copper conductor diameter
• Number of individual conductors
• Insulation thickness
• Outer cable jackets
• Plastic fillers and separators
• Metallic or nonmetallic shielding
• Connectors and attachments
• Jelly-filled cable construction

These differences explain why recovery-specific pricing may provide a more meaningful comparison than a generic #2 insulated-wire classification.

Is Telephone Wire #2 Insulated Copper Wire?

Some telephone and communication cables may be purchased as #2 insulated wire, but the classification is not universal.

Communication cables frequently contain smaller conductors and relatively high quantities of insulation, reducing their expected copper recovery.

Depending on construction, a buyer may classify the cable as #2, #3, communication wire or another low-recovery grade.

Are Automotive Wiring Harnesses #2 Insulated Wire?

Not automatically. Automotive wiring harnesses may include insulated copper conductors, connectors, terminals, plastic housings, tape and protective loom.

Many scrap yards use a separate Harness Wire grade because these additional components affect recoverable metal content.

Automotive harnesses should be kept separate from ordinary insulated copper wire when the buyer recognizes a different buying category.

What Is Jelly-Filled Copper Cable?

Some telecommunications cables contain water-blocking gel or jelly within the cable construction.

ReMA specifically states that jelly-filled wire under the Droid specification is subject to agreement between buyer and seller.

The added material may affect weight, processing and copper recovery. Sellers should disclose jelly-filled cable before shipment.

Should You Strip #2 Insulated Copper Wire?

Removing insulation does not automatically produce a better financial outcome.

The decision depends on conductor size, insulation thickness, labor costs, processing equipment, quantity and the difference between intact-wire prices and the value of recovered copper.

Before stripping large quantities, compare:

• The price offered for intact insulated wire
• The expected copper recovery percentage
• The buying price of the resulting copper grade
• Labor and processing requirements
• Equipment and handling costs

Small or multi-conductor wire can be particularly time-consuming to strip manually.

Does Stripped #2 Wire Become Bare Bright Copper?

Not necessarily. Removing the insulation does not change the underlying copper chemistry, surface condition or conductor characteristics.

The resulting copper may still be tinned, plated, oxidized, fine-gauge or otherwise unsuitable for Bare Bright classification.

The recovered conductor must satisfy the receiving buyer's applicable copper-grade specification.

Can You Burn Insulation Off Copper Wire?

No. Burning insulation is not an appropriate copper-recovery method.

Plastic and rubber insulation can release harmful combustion products, while heating may oxidize or damage the copper.

Appropriate recovery methods include mechanical stripping, chopping, granulation or processing through a qualified insulated-wire recycler.

How #2 Insulated Copper Wire Is Recycled

Commercial insulated-wire processors commonly use mechanical systems to separate recoverable copper from cable insulation and other materials.

Processing may involve:

1. Sorting cable by type and expected recovery
2. Removing large connectors or foreign materials
3. Chopping or granulating the cable
4. Separating copper from insulation and other materials
5. Cleaning the recovered copper fraction
6. Preparing recovered copper for downstream consumers

Larger, consistent loads may be easier to sample and assess accurately than mixed loads containing several cable constructions.

What Affects #2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Prices?

#2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap prices are influenced by recoverable copper content, broader copper-market conditions, cable construction, contamination, quantity, location and buyer processing costs.

RecyclingMonster tracks generic #2 insulated-wire pricing alongside more specific recovery-based categories.

Useful comparisons include:

• Generic #2 Insulated Copper Wire
• 45% Recovery
• 50% Recovery
• 55% Copper
• 60% Recovery

Price comparisons should account for the exact grade, recovery percentage, geographic location, unit of measurement and last-updated date.

Published scrap-yard prices are reference data and should not be treated as guaranteed buying offers.

How to Maximize #2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Value

Careful separation and accurate material descriptions can help sellers obtain a more appropriate assessment of their insulated-wire loads.

• Separate insulated copper wire from aluminum wire.
• Keep higher-recovery cable separate from lower-recovery material.
• Separate #1 insulated wire when the buyer recognizes a different grade.
• Keep automotive wiring harnesses separate when required.
• Disclose jelly-filled cable before shipment.
• Remove bulky non-wire attachments when requested by the buyer.
• Do not burn insulation.
• Compare recovery-specific prices before manually stripping cable.
• Ask how the buyer measures or estimates copper recovery.

Where Can You Sell #2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap?

#2 Insulated Copper Wire is purchased by nonferrous scrap processors, wire recyclers and metal recycling centers.

Not every facility uses identical naming conventions or accepts the same types of insulated cable. Sellers should confirm the receiving buyer's grade definitions, accepted materials and purchasing requirements.

Selling Bulk Insulated Copper Wire

Electrical contractors, telecommunications companies, manufacturers, demolition firms and industrial facilities may generate substantial quantities of insulated copper cable.

For bulk loads, prospective sellers should ask buyers about:

• Copper-recovery testing
• Sampling procedures
• Recovery-specific buying grades
• Acceptance of jelly-filled cable
• Connector-removal requirements
• Minimum shipment quantities
• Gaylord box or container service
• Pickup availability
• Delivered-versus-pickup pricing

Separating cable by construction and expected copper recovery before shipment can improve grading accuracy and reduce the likelihood of higher-recovery material being blended into lower-value mixed-wire categories.

Industry Impact: Why Recovery-Based Grading Matters

Who it affects: Electrical contractors, telecommunications companies, demolition firms, wire processors, nonferrous scrap yards and copper consumers.

Operational relevance: #2 Insulated Copper Wire is best evaluated by recoverable copper content, the underlying conductor specification and the receiving buyer's grading requirements.

Recovery-based grading gives processors a more predictable feedstock and helps sellers identify higher-yield cable rather than automatically blending it with lower-recovery insulated-wire material.