Scrap Metal Recycling:

We Buy and Sell Copper and Brass

Construction and demolition professionals, electricians, plumbers, and HVAC specialists have a partner in RecycleWise. We pay top dollar for many types of scrap metal and make it easy to turn it into cash. If you have non-ferrous scrap metal for recycling, or want to purchase recycled scrap metals, RecycleWise can help.

RecycleWise buys:

#1 Bright & Shiney Wire

Bright and Shiny Copper Wire is bright and shiny bare wire in appearance. Half the copper mined is used for electrical conduction. Copper will not hold a magnet. Bright and Shiny Copper is not coated or insulated in any way. It is pure copper (99.5%) and not mixed metal alloy. Bright and Shiny wire is bright copper in color and cannot be green or black to qualify for this high copper grade; neither can wire that has become brittle and cannot be bent without braking. Green, black and/or brittle wire is of a lesser quality. RecycleWise accepts number 16 gage and larger bright and shiny copper wire, in any quantity, large, medium or small.

#1 Burned Wire

Copper Wire is sometimes burned to remove insulation, coatings, debris, contaminants and for other reasons. Whether the copper is burned wire, or a second grade of copper it must be at least 96% pure copper. While some coating may remain (not more than 4% total shipment contamination or other metal), Burned Wire cannot be brittle. It must still bend without breaking. RecycleWise accepts most forms of copper and pays according to purity, condition and other factors. Copper wire must be free of brass and bronze wire, ash, grease, oil, other metals, hair wire (from braded wire), insulation and other debris or impurity.

#1 Copper Tubing

This is new or like new, unsoldered, 96% pure, clean copper tubing of various diameter, with no attachments. Number 1 Copper Tubing is usually surplus or from inventory reduction. This copper is uncoated. After electrical, copper tubing is another very common use for pure copper. Copper does not rust and chemically resists corrosion.

#2 Copper Tubing & Wire

Number 2 Copper Wire and Tubing is mixed number 2 copper tubing and number 2 copper wire. Both are pure, uncoated, non-insulated copper; not containing other metals such as tin or iron and free of debris and contaminants. Number 2 copper is unalloyed copper scrap having a normal 96% copper content. Number 2 copper should be free of excessive lead, tin, soldered copper scrap, brasses and bronzes, iron and non-metallic material including grease, oil and dirt. Number 2 copper tubing has only copper connections of the same quality copper (96% non-alloyed).

Red Brass

Red brass scrap, valves, machinery parts and other things made from red brass. Red brass gets its rosy or crimson color from a high copper content. The high copper content in red brass also gives it a higher recycling value than other brasses. It is important to distinguish real red brass from “semi-red brass” which is a lower quality material with less copper and more tin, lead or other metals. RecycleWise does buy all forms and grades of brass, though it cannot pay the same for “semi-red brass” as for genuine “red brass”. The copper content of red brass is 85% and higher. The copper content of “semi-red brass” ranges between 81-and-78%. It is important that Red Brass and Semi-Red or other brasses, not be mixed in order to get the best value and price for the materials.

Foundry Brass

Since the Bronze Age, going back 5,000 years; foundries have been recycling metals to make new items from old. Foundry brass is brass of a suitable size and quality that can be used by foundries without much pre-processing. The foundry brass pieces cannot be too large or require cutting. The preferred size for foundry brass pieces is smaller than 300mm x 300mm. Copper content of foundry brass is 80% or greater and the brass must be dry, clean, free of attachments, grease, oil and other foreign material, including other types of metal.

Yellow Brass

Yellow or honey brass, is mixed yellow brass solids, brass castings, rolled brass, rod brass, tubing and miscellaneous yellow brasses, including plated brass. Must be free of manganese-bronze, aluminum-bronze, un-sweated radiators or radiator parts, iron, and excessively dirty and corroded materials. Must also be free of any type of ammunitions casings.

Small Shells

Most shells are made from 70% brass. To be recycled spent (fired) shells should have minimal plastic, dirt, steel attached or residue inside and be without primers Be sure there are no live rounds. Live rounds present great danger.

RecycleWise sells:

• Recycled copper
• Recycled brass
• Recycled aluminum, including aluminum alloys

If you need assistance with transportation or specialized equipment for containing, baling or compacting scrap metal, call RecycleWise at 951-781-8810.