Defend Nature through Recycling: Everything You Need to Know

Why Is Copper So Recyclable?

by Arnold Bowman

There are many types of metal that are easy to recycle. Aluminium is a good example because it is abundant and can be melted down and fashioned into new products without much effort. Steel takes more energy to recycle but because it has so many applications, this is another metal that is widely used in recycled forms. Another key metal for the recycling industry is copper which is why you will see cash for wires being paid so widely. What is it about copper that means that handsome sums of cash for scrap wires will be paid? Read on to find out.

Extracting Used Copper

One of the problems there is when recycling any material is separating it from those around it. For example, cardboard and plastic are often used together in packaging so you need to differentiate between each before you can reprocess them. With metals, there is also a problem of alloys when two or more metallic elements are combined. When cash for wires is offered, however, it is common for the metal to be much purer and consequently easier to recycle. In fact, most domestic wiring and communications wires are made almost entirely from copper because it is such a good conductor of electricity. All that is needed to extract the copper from most wires is to melt off the plastic sheathing that surrounds it.

Reprocessing Old Copper

When copper has been extracted from the scrap wires and other products that it was previously used in, it can be reprocessed in a straightforward manner. To begin with, it will be stretched out and formed into new strands which are then twisted over one another. In turn, this will make a new cable that can be used for power distribution, to convey audio signals or to form the connections needed by data communications equipment, such as ethernet cables, for example.

Many Industrial Uses

Although old wiring is often recycled into new electrical components, this is not the only use that recycled copper can be put to. When cash for wires is paid, there is a myriad of different products that the metal can end up in. For instance, old copper wires are sometimes formed into pans because of the good heat distribution they offer. Copper is also good for making hygienic products since many microbes do not survive on it for long. As such, your old domestic wiring could end up as a new tap in a hospital or even as a work surface in a professional kitchen.

To learn more, contact a cash for wires service.

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