No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap consists of high-quality, unalloyed copper conductors covered by electrical insulation. It is commonly recovered from electrical installations, construction offcuts, utility projects, industrial equipment and building renovations. Unlike Bare Bright Copper, the insulation remains attached when the material is sold.
Under the ReMA/ISRI Druid specification, the underlying copper must meet the No. 1 Copper Wire requirements, and the material is traded on a sample or recovery basis. Its value depends on how much copper can be recovered from the complete insulated cable, together with conductor quality, cleanliness, market conditions and buyer requirements.
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire: Quick Facts
- Material category: Copper Scrap / Insulated Electrical Wire
- ReMA/ISRI code: Druid
- Official trade description: Insulated Copper Wire Scrap
- Underlying conductor: No. 1 bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire
- Standard conductor size: No. 16 B&S gauge or larger in diameter, unless otherwise agreed
- Insulation: Various types of electrical insulation
- Trade basis: Sample or copper recovery, subject to buyer-seller agreement
- Fixed recovery percentage: None specified by ReMA
- Common sources: Electrical contractors, utilities, manufacturing and construction
- Related grades: No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire, Bare Bright Copper and recovery-specific insulated wire
- Key pricing factors: Copper recovery, conductor quality, insulation, contamination and location
- Potential buyers: Nonferrous scrap yards, cable recyclers and wire processors
What Is No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap?
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire is electrical wire containing clean, unalloyed copper conductors protected by an insulating material.
Insulation allows the wire to operate safely in electrical systems by separating conductors and limiting unintended electrical contact.
Once the wire is no longer needed, the copper can be recovered through mechanical stripping, cable granulation or other suitable industrial recycling methods.
The conductor quality and the insulation weight are both important. A cable can contain excellent-quality copper but still receive a lower price per pound because a significant share of its total weight is plastic or other nonmetallic material.
ReMA Druid Specification for Insulated Copper Wire
The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) maintains the ISRI Specifications, which are widely used as reference standards for recycled-metal transactions.
Druid is the recognized specification for insulated wire containing No. 1 copper conductors.
The standard requires:
- No. 1 bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire beneath the insulation
- Wire not smaller than No. 16 Brown & Sharpe gauge, unless buyer and seller agree otherwise
- Electrical insulation covering the conductors
- Trading on a sample or recovery basis under agreed commercial terms
Druid does not establish a universal copper-recovery percentage. Sellers and buyers must agree on how the material will be sampled, graded and valued.
Trade distinction: No. 1 describes the copper conductor quality. Recovery describes the proportion of recoverable copper in the entire insulated cable. These are related but different characteristics.
What Does No. 16 B&S Wire Gauge Mean?
B&S stands for Brown & Sharpe, the wire-gauge system commonly known as American Wire Gauge (AWG).
Under the standard Druid specification, the copper conductor should be No. 16 AWG or larger in physical diameter unless the buyer and seller agree to accept finer wire.
Wire-gauge numbers run in reverse: a lower AWG number indicates a thicker conductor.
For example, 12 AWG copper is physically thicker than 16 AWG copper, while 18 AWG is thinner.
Conductor gauge alone does not determine the purchase price. Insulation thickness, cable construction and expected copper recovery must also be considered.
What Does Copper Recovery Mean?
Copper recovery is the percentage of the cable's total weight expected to remain as recoverable copper after insulation and other non-copper material are separated.
Scrap yards may determine recovery through representative sampling, known cable construction or processing experience.
Example: 75% Copper Recovery
Consider a hypothetical 100-pound shipment of insulated wire with 75% copper recovery.
Total insulated cable: 100 lb
Estimated recoverable copper: 75 lb
Insulation and other material: 25 lb
That is a theoretical material balance, not a guaranteed processing result.
A higher copper-recovery percentage generally means a larger share of the load is valuable copper. However, the actual purchase price also reflects copper-market conditions, preparation and processing costs.
Does No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Have a Fixed Recovery Percentage?
No. Druid does not require all qualifying insulated wire to contain exactly 70%, 75%, 80% or 85% recoverable copper.
Those percentages are commercial buying categories used by individual scrap yards and wire processors.
Common market descriptions include:
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire, 70% Recovery
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire, 75% Recovery
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire, 80% Recovery
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire, 85% Recovery
- High-Recovery Insulated Copper Wire
- Double-Insulated Copper Wire
These names do not replace the official Druid material specification.
When comparing quotations, always confirm the percentage and the receiving buyer's method for determining recovery.
What Affects Copper Recovery in Insulated Wire?
Two cables containing similar copper conductors can have very different recoveries because their total construction differs.
Important factors include:
- Conductor size: Larger copper conductors can have a greater copper-to-insulation ratio.
- Number of conductors: Multi-conductor cable can contain additional insulation and separators.
- Insulation thickness: Heavier insulation increases non-copper weight.
- Outer jackets: Additional protective jackets can lower copper recovery.
- Fillers and binders: Nonmetallic components add weight without recoverable copper.
- Metallic shielding: Steel or aluminum shielding changes the material composition.
- Connectors: Plugs, terminals and fittings can affect the accepted grade.
Recovery is best evaluated for the complete cable construction, not by conductor appearance alone.
No. 1 vs. No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire
The official distinction begins with the copper wire underneath the insulation.
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire: Druid
Contains qualifying No. 1 copper wire under insulation. Druid also establishes the standard conductor-size condition.
No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire: Droid
Contains No. 2 copper wire under insulation, as defined by the ReMA Birch specification. It is also purchased on a sample or recovery basis.
Droid specifically addresses jelly-filled wire through buyer-seller agreement.
Neither specification assigns a single universal recovery percentage.
For a detailed comparison, read No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap.
See also No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Prices and No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire Prices.
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire vs. Bare Bright Copper
Both materials can contain high-quality copper, but their preparation and commercial specifications differ.
Bare Bright and Druid insulated wire should not automatically receive the same price per pound because the full insulated-wire weight includes nonmetallic material.
See No. 1 Copper Bare Bright Scrap Prices for the separate bare-wire market.
Does Stripping Insulated Wire Make It Bare Bright?
Not automatically.
Removing insulation exposes the copper conductor, but it does not guarantee that the recovered wire meets a premium Bare Bright specification.
Recovered wire may still be:
- Tinned or plated
- Soldered
- Heavily oxidized
- Contaminated
- Outside the buyer's accepted size or condition requirements
The receiving buyer must evaluate the final prepared copper under the applicable purchasing grade.
Stripping improves preparation only when the resulting material qualifies for an appropriate grade and the additional recovery value exceeds processing costs.
Should You Strip No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Before Selling?
That depends on the cable, the quantity available and the buyer's pricing.
Removing insulation reduces the shipment's weight while potentially increasing the price per pound of the recovered copper.
For large, easily processed conductors, mechanical stripping may be commercially worthwhile.
For smaller cable, heavily insulated products or mixed loads, selling the wire intact may provide a better return on the seller's time and processing expense.
Compare These Factors Before Stripping
- Intact insulated-wire buying price
- Expected copper recovery percentage
- Weight of copper remaining after separation
- Accepted stripped-copper grade
- Stripped-copper buying price
- Labor and equipment costs
- Handling of removed insulation
- Transportation and other expenses
How to Calculate Whether Stripping Is Profitable
Option A: Sell the Wire With Insulation
Revenue = Total accepted insulated-wire weight × Insulated-wire price per pound.
Option B: Sell the Recovered Copper
Gross copper revenue = Accepted recovered-copper weight × Applicable stripped-copper price per pound.
Net recovery revenue = Gross copper revenue plus any other recovered-material revenue, minus labor, equipment, insulation handling and other processing costs.
Decision: Choose the option offering the better net return using actual weights and buyer quotations.
A higher Bare Bright price alone does not prove that stripping will be profitable.
Can Copper Wire Insulation Be Burned Off?
No. Open burning is not an appropriate way to prepare insulated copper wire for recycling.
Electrical insulation may contain PVC or other polymers that release harmful combustion products during uncontrolled burning.
Excessive heating can also oxidize or contaminate copper and may affect the accepted scrap grade.
Professional wire recyclers use suitable mechanical stripping, chopping, granulation and separation methods instead.
Do not use torches, open fires or uncontrolled thermal methods to recover copper from insulated cable.
How Is No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Recycled?
Wire recyclers recover copper by separating the metallic conductors from insulation and other components.
A typical industrial operation may include:
- Receiving: Cable is weighed and inspected.
- Grading: Material is sorted by conductor type and expected recovery.
- Preparation: Unwanted connectors, mixed metals and attachments are removed where necessary.
- Mechanical processing: Cable is stripped, chopped or granulated using appropriate equipment.
- Separation: Copper is separated from insulation and other materials.
- Cleaning: Residual plastic and contamination are reduced.
- Quality control: The recovered copper fraction is evaluated for its accepted grade.
- Downstream processing: Copper is sent to suitable refiners, remelters or manufacturers.
Not every scrap yard processes the wire on-site. Some yards purchase intact cable and supply specialized wire-recycling facilities.
Common Sources of No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire
High-grade insulated copper wire is generated through electrical installation, manufacturing and equipment replacement.
- Electrical contractors: New installation offcuts and replacement cable
- Commercial buildings: Electrical upgrades and renovation work
- Industrial facilities: Power and distribution wiring
- Utilities: Suitable copper-bearing cable removed during infrastructure work
- Manufacturers: Wire-production offcuts and rejected cable
- Construction sites: Surplus or unused electrical cable
- Demolition projects: Properly recovered copper electrical wiring
- Equipment dismantlers: Suitable insulated conductors separated from larger assemblies
The original source does not establish the grade. Each shipment must still satisfy the buyer's conductor, recovery and contamination requirements.
Are Motor and Transformer Windings No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire?
Not automatically.
Electric motors and transformers commonly use magnet wire coated with enamel, varnish or another specialized electrical insulation system.
This differs from many conventional insulated building and power cables.
Scrap yards may classify separated motor and transformer windings under dedicated motor-copper, enamelled-wire or transformer-winding grades.
Do not mix these windings with Druid insulated wire unless the buyer confirms their acceptance.
For related materials, see Large Electric Motor Scrap and Copper Transformer Scrap.
What Is Double-Insulated Copper Wire?
Double-insulated wire is a commercial description commonly used for wire or cable with additional insulation layers.
Additional insulation can reduce the percentage of recoverable copper in the complete cable weight.
However, multiple insulation layers do not automatically mean that the copper conductor is No. 2 quality.
The copper grade and the recovery percentage must be assessed separately.
Some buyers maintain a dedicated double-insulated-wire category. Others classify the material according to recovered copper percentage.
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Prices
No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire prices depend on the underlying copper conductor, expected recovery, insulation, contamination, preparation, market conditions and local purchasing requirements.
A high-recovery cable may receive a different buying price from another cable containing the same quality copper but substantially more insulation.
What Determines the Scrap Price?
- Copper recovery: Percentage of recoverable copper in the complete cable
- Conductor quality: Conformity with No. 1 copper requirements
- Copper-market conditions: Current copper demand and pricing
- Insulation: Thickness, composition and processing requirements
- Construction: Single- or multi-conductor cable, jackets and shielding
- Contamination: Plating, other metals, dirt and non-wire attachments
- Preparation: Intact, sorted or mechanically processed wire
- Quantity: Shipment volume and consistency
- Location: Freight costs and available processing facilities
- Commercial terms: Sampling, grading, deductions and settlement
Available No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Prices
Review the available RecyclingMonster price records below. Confirm the material grade, copper-recovery percentage, observation date, currency and weight unit.
price
For dedicated price records, visit No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Prices.
Recovery-specific comparisons include:
- Insulated Copper Wire: 70% Recovery
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire: 75% Recovery
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire: 85% Recovery
These are distinct purchasing categories. A price reported for one recovery percentage should not be presented as a universal No. 1 insulated-wire rate.
Why Does Higher-Recovery Wire Often Receive a Better Price?
A higher copper-recovery percentage indicates that a greater share of the purchased material can be recovered as copper.
For example, in a hypothetical 100-pound shipment:
- 70% recovery: Approximately 70 lb of recoverable copper
- 85% recovery: Approximately 85 lb of recoverable copper
The difference is 15 pounds of estimated recoverable copper for the same total cable weight.
That does not establish a fixed price premium. Processing costs, copper condition, market demand and buyer requirements still determine the actual quotation.
How to Improve No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Value
Accurate sorting usually provides greater practical value than unnecessary handling.
- Separate high-grade wire: Keep No. 1 insulated copper separate from lower-quality wire.
- Sort by recovery: Separate high- and low-recovery cable when the buyer uses those categories.
- Keep copper and aluminum apart: Do not mix aluminum-conductor cable into copper-wire shipments.
- Separate Bare Bright: Keep clean bare copper wire in its dedicated grade.
- Identify coatings: Keep known tinned, plated or soldered wire out of premium conductor categories unless permitted.
- Separate winding wire: Keep motor and transformer windings distinct where required.
- Remove unwanted attachments: Follow the buyer's instructions for large connectors, fittings and unrelated metals.
- Keep material clean: Prevent excessive dirt, moisture and other contamination.
- Do not burn insulation: Use appropriate mechanical preparation or sell the cable intact.
- Confirm recovery testing: Ask how the buyer determines the applicable recovery percentage.
Electrical Safety When Recovering Copper Wire
Electrical wire recovered from buildings, machinery or utility installations may still present an electrical hazard.
Before removal, qualified personnel must ensure that relevant circuits have been appropriately isolated and verified safe under applicable electrical safety requirements.
Cable-cutting and stripping equipment also presents mechanical hazards, including pinch points and sharp metal edges.
Proper handling should address:
- Electrical isolation before cable removal
- Safe operation of stripping and cutting machinery
- Protection from sharp wire ends
- Control of dust and insulation debris
- Safe storage and handling of heavy cable reels or containers
- Proper collection of removed insulation
Uncontrolled burning and informal electrical demolition should not be used to recover copper.
Where Can You Sell No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire?
High-grade insulated copper wire may be purchased by nonferrous scrap yards, wire-recycling processors and companies specializing in copper recovery.
Buyers may offer separate rates according to cable type, copper recovery and preparation.
yards
RecyclingMonster maintains a dedicated No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Recycling Centers Directory for facilities that list this material among their accepted scrap grades.
Additional buyers can be researched using Recycle an Item and the Metal Recycling Centers Directory.
Before delivery: Confirm the accepted grade, copper-recovery requirement, minimum quantity, current quotation and any preparation or transportation conditions.
Selling Bulk No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap
Electrical contractors, utilities, manufacturers, construction companies and industrial facilities can generate substantial quantities of insulated copper wire through regular operations.
For recurring sales or large-volume shipments, buyers and sellers should agree on:
- ReMA Druid or other accepted purchasing specification
- Conductor gauge and material requirements
- Expected copper recovery
- Sampling and testing procedures
- High-recovery versus lower-recovery cable separation
- Double-insulated cable acceptance
- Restrictions on plated or tinned wire
- Permitted connectors and attachments
- Contamination and moisture limits
- Minimum shipment quantities
- Loose material, gaylord or container requirements
- Pickup and loading responsibilities
- Delivered versus collected prices
- Weighing and grade-adjustment procedures
- Processing and freight deductions
- Payment and settlement terms
For commercial accounts, preserving cable-identification records and separating material at the point of generation can improve grading accuracy.
A consistent high-recovery cable stream may be easier to evaluate than mixed loads containing wire with widely different insulation weights.
Frequently Asked Questions About No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire
What is the ReMA code for No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire?
Druid is the ReMA/ISRI code for insulated copper wire containing qualifying No. 1 copper conductors. It is sold on a sample or recovery basis.
What does 75% copper recovery mean?
It means approximately 75% of the total cable weight is expected to be recovered as copper. A 100-pound load would theoretically yield about 75 pounds of copper.
Is No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire the same as Bare Bright?
No. No. 1 insulated wire still has insulation. Bare Bright is a separate clean, bare-copper-wire grade.
Should I strip insulated copper wire before selling it?
Not necessarily. Compare the intact-wire price with the value of recovered copper after accounting for lost insulation weight, labor and processing costs.
Where can I sell No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap?
Many nonferrous scrap yards and wire processors purchase it. Confirm the accepted conductor grade, copper recovery and current buying terms before delivery.
Explore More Copper Wire Recycling Resources
Compare copper-wire specifications, review published prices and find recycling facilities through RecyclingMonster.
- No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Guide
- No. 3 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap Guide
- Copper/Aluminum BX Cable Scrap Guide
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Prices
- 75% Recovery Insulated Copper Wire Prices
- 85% Recovery Insulated Copper Wire Prices
- 70% Recovery Insulated Copper Wire Prices
- No. 2 Insulated Copper Wire Prices
- No. 1 Bare Bright Copper Prices
- Copper Scrap Prices
- Scrap Metal Price Database
- No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Recycling Centers
- Metal Recycling Centers
- Find a Recycler by Material
- Copper Wire Recovery Industry News
- Scrap Materials and Specifications Library
- Recycling Industry News and Articles
- RecyclingMonster Homepage
Material information and safety notice: No. 1 Insulated Copper Wire Scrap prices, conductor quality, recovery percentages and buyer acceptance vary by cable construction, material condition, market location and reporting date. ReMA Druid establishes conductor and trading requirements but no fixed recovery percentage. Electrical cable removal requires appropriate safety procedures. Final purchasing grades and terms depend on buyer-seller agreement.