Cable Wire Recycling buys four main grades: dry bright wire (bare, stripped copper), high grade 60% cable (thick insulated cable with a high copper ratio), household cable (twin and earth, flex, and similar domestic wiring), and low grade armoured cable (steel wire armoured cable with thick outer protection). The grade is set by how much copper sits inside the insulation and armour, not by how the cable looks on the outside.

• Dry bright wire pays the most per kg because it is already 99%+ pure stripped copper with no insulation left to remove.
• High grade 60% cable means roughly 60% of the cable’s weight is recoverable copper once the insulation is stripped away.
• Household cable (twin and earth, flex, appliance leads) typically yields 40 to 50% copper by weight.
• Low grade armoured cable yields the least copper per kg of gross weight, usually 25 to 40%, because the steel wire armour and thick sheathing add weight without adding copper.
• You do not need to strip a single cable to get an accurate quote. Bring it as it is and it will be graded on site.

What Determines a Cable’s Scrap Grade?

A cable’s scrap grade is not really about what the cable was originally used for. It is about one number: how much copper (or occasionally aluminium) comes out the other end once the insulation, sheathing, and any armour are removed. Every grading system in the UK scrap trade, including this one, is really a shorthand for a recovery percentage.

Take two cables of the same 1kg weight. A metre of thick single-core household cable might be 50% copper by weight, the rest PVC insulation. A metre of steel wire armoured cable of similar gauge might only be 30% copper, because a heavy steel armour layer and a thicker outer sheath are doing most of the weighing. Same rough size, same “looks like cable,” completely different value once you do the sums.

That is why two people can turn up with what looks, to an untrained eye, like the same pile of cable and walk away with very different quotes. The grade reflects composition, not appearance.

 

The Four Grades We Buy at Cable Wire Recycling

Dry Bright Wire
Copper wire with all insulation, coating and contamination already removed. This is the top grade because there is nothing left to process except melt it down. It should be clean, dry, and free of paint, solder, or brass fittings.

 

High Grade 60% Cable
Insulated cable where the copper core makes up roughly 60% of the total weight. This typically means single-core cables, thicker gauge wiring looms, and heavier gauge domestic or light commercial cable with relatively thin insulation for its copper content.

 

Household Cable
Twin and earth (T&E), flex, appliance leads, extension cables, and general domestic wiring. Copper content usually sits around 40 to 50%, varying with the thickness of the PVC sheathing.

 

Low Grade / Armoured Cable
Steel wire armoured (SWA) cable and other heavily protected or thick sheathed cable. The steel armour, bedding, and thick outer sheath push copper recovery down to roughly 25 to 40%, depending on the cable’s core size and armour thickness.

 

How to Identify Dry Bright Wire

Dry bright wire is the easiest grade to spot because there should be almost nothing else there. It is bare copper, stripped of every layer of insulation, and it should look it.

Colour
Freshly stripped copper is a dull salmon pink to orange colour, not shiny like a new penny. If your wire has gone a dark, dull brown or has a greenish tinge, it has started to oxidise, which is normal for wire that has sat around for a while and does not usually affect the grade unless the oxidation is heavy.

 

No insulation left
Run your fingers along a length. There should be no PVC, rubber, or plastic sleeve remaining at all, not even small offcuts at the ends. Even a small amount of leftover insulation drops the load out of dry bright and into a lower grade because it has to be reprocessed.

 

No solder, paint or attachments
Dry bright wire should be free of solder blobs, connectors, plugs, or any brass or plastic fittings. If your wire came out of old appliances and still has a plug or a connector block attached, remove it first or expect the load to be graded down.

 

Dry, not wet or oily
The name says it. Wire that has been sitting in a damp shed or has oil residue on it (common with wire pulled from old machinery) is downgraded because moisture and contamination affect the melt.

 

Most people never actually reach true dry bright wire, because getting there means manually stripping every cable first, which takes time most tradespeople and homeowners do not have. That is completely fine. Bring the cable as it is and it will be graded accordingly. Dry bright commands the highest per kg price precisely because someone, somewhere in the process, has already done that stripping work.

 

How to Identify High Grade 60% Cable

High grade cable sits between dry bright wire and household cable. It is still insulated, but the copper to insulation ratio is high enough that it is worth more per kg than standard domestic cable.

Thick, solid copper core relative to the insulation
Cut a short cross-section (a few centimetres) off the end of a sample length with pliers or side cutters. Look at the copper core against the total diameter of the cable. If the copper core takes up roughly half or more of the cross-section, and the insulation layer is comparatively thin, it is likely high grade.

 

Single-core or simple multi-core construction
High grade cable is often single-core power cable, thicker gauge wiring loom cable (without fuse boxes or connector blocks attached), or heavier communication and power cable used in commercial and industrial settings rather than typical domestic flex.

 

No armour, no lead sheath, no significant steel content
If there is a metal armour layer wrapped around the insulation, it is not high grade, it is armoured cable, and it grades lower.

 

A quick weight test
Cut a known length, say 30cm, and weigh it. Then strip that same 30cm section by hand, using pliers or a stripping tool, never a blade near your fingers and never burning it, and weigh the bare copper recovered. If the copper makes up close to 60% or more of that original weight, this is high grade cable. If it comes out closer to 40 to 50%, it is household grade instead.

 

How to Identify Household Cable

Household cable is the grade most people bring in from renovations, rewires, and general clear-outs, and it is the grade covered by the least ambiguity because most people already know it when they see it.

 

Common types that fall into household grade

• Twin and earth (T&E), also called 6242Y, the flat grey cable used for domestic ring mains and lighting circuits
• Flexible flex cable from appliances, extension leads, and lamp cord
• Meter tails (6181Y) connecting the meter to the consumer unit
• General internal domestic wiring pulled during a rewire

Household cable typically has a thicker proportion of PVC insulation relative to its copper core than high grade cable does, because domestic cable is built to a safety and durability standard rather than a copper density standard. Household cable has no metal armour layer. If it bends easily by hand without significant resistance and there is no visible or felt metal winding beneath the outer sheath, it is household grade, not armoured.

 

How to Identify Low Grade Armoured Cable

Armoured cable, most commonly steel wire armoured (SWA) cable, is used anywhere a cable needs mechanical protection: buried runs, outdoor installations, sheds, garages, and industrial settings where the cable might be knocked, crushed, or exposed to the elements.

A layer of steel wires beneath the outer sheath
Cut a cross-section and you will see a ring of fine steel wires wrapped around the inner insulated cores, sitting beneath the black outer PVC sheath. This is the armour, and it is what defines the grade.

 

Noticeably heavier for its length than household cable
Because of the steel armour and thicker outer sheath, a metre of armoured cable will feel considerably heavier than a metre of household cable of a similar core size.

 

Stiffer and harder to bend
Armoured cable is deliberately less flexible than household flex. If a cable resists bending and feels rigid, that stiffness usually comes from the armour layer inside.

 

Three-core or four-core with coloured cores
Most domestic and light commercial SWA cable has brown, blue/green and yellow, or brown, black and grey insulated cores inside the armour, similar core colouring to twin and earth but wrapped in that extra steel layer.

 

Scrap Cable Grades Compared: The Full Grading Matrix

The table below shows how copper recovery differs by grade. Full detail on what each grade looks like and who typically brings it in follows underneath.

Grade	Typical copper recovery
Dry Bright Wire	99%+
High Grade 60% Cable	Roughly 55 to 65%
Household Cable	Roughly 40 to 50%
Low Grade / Armoured Cable	Roughly 25 to 40%

 

Dry Bright Wire
Bare stripped copper, no insulation, no solder or fittings. Ready to melt with no further processing needed. Typically brought in by cable strippers, scrap traders, and electricians who strip offcuts.

 

High Grade 60% Cable
Insulated single-core or thick gauge cable with thin insulation relative to the core. Needs moderate processing, mechanical stripping and granulation. Typically brought in by electricians, IT and telecom firms, and commercial site clearances.

 

Household Cable
Twin and earth, flex, meter tails, and appliance leads. Needs moderate processing, mechanical stripping and granulation. Typically brought in by homeowners, landlords, and electricians on rewires.

 

Low Grade / Armoured Cable
SWA cable with a thick sheath and a visible steel wire armour layer. Processing is more involved, since the armour must be separated from the copper core. Typically brought in by electricians, groundworkers, and construction and demolition firms.

 

Which Cable Grade Should You Bring In? A Suitability Guide

If you have offcuts from a new-build electrical job
These are usually high grade or household depending on the cable type used. Bring them as they are, unstripped, unless you already strip cable as a matter of routine.

 

If you have old appliances or extension leads from a house clearance
This is household grade. No need to cut plugs off or separate cores, sorting happens on arrival.

 

If you have removed old external or underground cable during a renovation or garden project
This is very likely low grade armoured cable if it was buried or run outdoors. Do not attempt to strip the steel armour with tools not designed for it, it is genuinely hard to do safely by hand.

 

If you are an electrician with a drawer of loose stripped offcuts built up over months
That collection may already be close to dry bright wire, provided it is genuinely free of insulation and fittings, and will grade accordingly.

 

If you are not sure which grade you have
Bring it in as it is. Grading on arrival is faster and more accurate than guessing at home, and there is no cost or obligation to get a grade and a quote.

 

Who This Grading Guide Isn’t For

This guide will not help you if you are trying to pass off copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable as solid copper cable. CCA cable, common in cheap imported HDMI leads, audio cable, and some budget installation cable, uses an aluminium core with a thin copper coating. It looks like copper cable at a glance but weighs less and yields far less copper on processing. Any reputable yard checks for this at the weighbridge with a cross-section inspection, so misrepresenting it will not get you a better price, it will just slow your visit down.

It also will not help if your cable has been recovered from a source you cannot account for. All scrap metal dealers in the UK are legally required to verify the identity of anyone supplying scrap metal and to keep records of what was received and from whom, under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013. If you cannot show the cable is yours to sell, whether that is a domestic clearance, a trade job, or a business asset, a licensed dealer is required to ask questions before taking it, and may decline it.

 

How Grade Affects What You’re Paid Per Kg

Grade is the single biggest factor in your per kg price, more so than the total weight of your load. Scrap cable prices move with the copper market and are never fixed, so this article will not quote figures that could be out of date by the time you read it. What matters is the relationship between the grades, not any specific number on any given day.

On our scrap cable prices page, dry bright wire is consistently priced several times higher per kg than low grade armoured cable, and high grade cable sits well above household cable. That gap is not a pricing quirk, it directly mirrors the copper recovery percentages covered above: a kilogram of dry bright wire is almost entirely copper, while a kilogram of low grade armoured cable might only be a quarter to a third copper once the steel armour and thick sheathing are accounted for.

This is why two people can bring in what looks like a similar sized load and leave with very different amounts. It is not inconsistent pricing, it is the same pricing formula applied to genuinely different materials. Always check the live prices page on the day you plan to sell, since rates are updated regularly and displayed with a clear validity window.

 

Common Mistakes People Make When Grading Their Own Cable

Assuming thicker cable always means a higher grade
Wrong. Armoured cable is often physically thicker and heavier than high grade cable, but its steel armour drags the copper percentage down, not up. Thickness alone tells you nothing about grade.

 

Burning cable to strip it before bringing it in
Do not do this. Burning cable insulation to recover the metal is a criminal offence under Section 33 of the Clean Air Act 1993, carrying a fine of up to £5,000, and it releases toxic dioxins and heavy metal particulates that are genuinely dangerous to breathe. It also does not improve your price, most yards pay on recovered content regardless, and it destroys any evidence of the cable’s original construction, which can actually work against you at grading.

 

Mixing all grades into one bag or box
You do not need to separate every strand, but roughly keeping dry bright wire away from armoured cable, and household cable away from anything with a steel armour layer, speeds up an accurate grade and means the mixed grade average does not accidentally pull your best material down to a lower blended price.

 

Assuming shiny means bare bright and dull means low grade
Colour and shine are not reliable grading indicators on their own. Freshly stripped copper is naturally dull pink orange, not shiny. Oxidised copper that has sat for months can look dark and uninviting but still be genuine dry bright wire once you account for surface oxidation. Grade is about composition, not appearance.

 

Scrap Cable Grades: Myths People Get Wrong

Myth: “All copper cable pays the same price.”
It does not. The four grades above can differ by four or five times in per kg value for cable that, to an untrained eye, looks broadly similar.

 

Myth: “Stripping cable at home always gets you a better price.”
Only sometimes, and only if stripping is done efficiently and safely. Hand stripping small amounts of thin household cable rarely changes the outcome enough to be worth the time. It becomes worthwhile mainly on high grade single-core cable in bulk, where the jump from insulated grade to dry bright grade is largest.

 

Myth: “If it’s heavy, it’s worth more.”
Weight matters, but only once grade is set. A heavy load of low grade armoured cable can be worth less than a much lighter load of dry bright wire.

 

Myth: “Aluminium cable is basically the same as copper cable for scrap purposes.”
Aluminium cable and copper clad aluminium cable are graded and priced entirely separately from copper cable, and at a lower rate, because aluminium has a lower scrap value per kg than copper. If you are not sure which metal your cable’s core is, ask us to check it on arrival.

 

Are Scrap Cable Grades Worth Learning If You’re Selling in Bulk?

Yes, arguably more so than for small domestic loads. If you are an electrician, a site manager, or a business that regularly generates scrap cable, understanding grade means you can sort as you go rather than all at once. A skip full of mixed cable graded as one blended lot will almost always come out lower per kg than the same material pre-sorted into its four grades, simply because averaging pulls the high grade material down toward the low grade rate.

For businesses producing consistent volumes, whether that is a construction firm stripping out old wiring, an IT company decommissioning cabling, or a factory clearing old machinery cable, bulk collection is available for large loads. Get in touch to arrange a collection and rough grading can be discussed over the phone before we arrive.

 

Our Verdict: Don’t Guess, Bring It In

You do not need a metallurgy background to sell scrap cable well. The identification steps above, cut test, weight test, checking for armour, checking for leftover insulation, will get you close enough to know roughly what you are holding and roughly what it is worth using the live prices page. But the final grade and price is always confirmed on the day, at the point of collection or drop-off, because that is the only way to grade accurately and fairly for both sides.

If you take one thing from this guide, take this: the biggest single mistake is not misgrading your cable, it is not bringing it in at all because you assumed a mixed or uncertain load was not worth the trip. Every grade above has value. Bring it as it is.

 

Scrap Cable Grades FAQ

Q1 What is the highest paying scrap cable grade?
Dry bright wire, bare stripped copper with no insulation, solder or fittings remaining, pays the most per kg because it needs no further processing before it can be melted down.

 

Q2 Is armoured cable worth less than household cable?
Per kg, yes, generally. The steel wire armour in armoured cable adds weight without adding copper, which lowers its overall copper recovery percentage compared to household cable of similar core size.

 

Q3 Do I need to strip the insulation off my cable before bringing it in?
No. All four grades are accepted as they are and graded on arrival. Stripping is only worth doing yourself in specific bulk situations, covered in our separate guide on preparing cable before you sell.

 

Q4 How can I tell if my cable is copper or copper-clad aluminium?
Copper clad aluminium (CCA) cable is noticeably lighter than solid copper cable of the same diameter, and a cross-section cut reveals a grey aluminium core beneath a thin copper coating rather than solid copper throughout. Bring a sample in and we will check it for you.

 

Q5 Can I mix different cable grades in the same load?
Yes, you do not need to separate every strand, but roughly grouping your material, dry bright away from armoured for example, speeds up grading and protects your higher grade material from being averaged down.

 

Q6 Does the colour of the cable insulation affect its grade?
No. Grade is based on the copper content and construction of the cable, not the colour of the outer sheath or inner core insulation.

 

Q7 What is high grade 60% cable actually made of?
It typically refers to single-core or thick gauge insulated cable where roughly 60% of the total weight is recoverable copper once the PVC or similar insulation is stripped away, most often thicker power cable, wiring looms without fuse boxes attached, and heavier commercial cable.

 

Q8 Is it illegal to burn cable insulation to check the copper underneath?
Yes. Burning cable to recover or expose the metal is an offence under Section 33 of the Clean Air Act 1993, with fines of up to £5,000, regardless of whether it is done to sell the cable or simply to inspect it.

 

Q9 Where can I check today’s price per kg for each grade?
Our scrap cable prices page lists live rates for dry bright wire, high grade 60% cable, household cable and low grade armoured cable, updated regularly in line with copper market movements.

Get in touch with us.