What You Need to Know About Copper Sorting

September 20, 2024

The importance of copper in global industry is undeniable and growing. Due to its wide range of industrial applications, copper waste is a valuable raw material whose price directly depends on its quality and chemical composition. The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) classifies copper waste into five main groups, which help determine the metal’s purity and price:

1. Berry (Cu min. 99%) – pure, clean copper scrap without impurities, usually consisting of clean copper wires that are not oxidized or contaminated.
2. Candy (Cu min. 99%) – also clean copper, but in solid form, unlike the flexible Berry wire.
3. Millberry (Cu min. 99%) – thick, highest quality, copper wire without impurities, usually obtained from production waste or construction cables.
4. Birch (Cu min. 95%) – copper scrap with a small amount of impurities, suitable for recycling, but not as pure as Berry or Millberry.
5. Cliff (Cu min. 95%) – copper scrap with rough impurities or signs of oxidation, but still suitable for recycling.
   

NOVITERA, aiming to offer the most beneficial sorting method for the customer, buys copper according to three main categories and offers prices based on its quality:

1. The highest price is paid for Millberry – the purest copper grade.
2. Medium price applies to Berry and Candy grades.
3. The lowest price is given to Birch and Cliff copper groups.
   

“It’s important to us that customers understand the significance of copper sorting because unsorted copper will be valued at a lower price. By correctly sorting materials, we can offer our customers the right price. For example, the price difference between Millberry and Birch with Cliff is about 6%,” says Julius Grinskis, Commercial Director of NOVITERA.

Copper is one of the most common metals due to its exceptional conductivity, corrosion resistance, and recyclability. It is widely used in electronics, renewable energy, electric vehicles, plumbing fixtures, construction, and the automotive industry. Copper is also an essential raw material in electronic and telecommunications equipment. Read more about copper here.