Communication Wire is worth $1.74 per lb today in the United States, ranking 12 of 12 copper grades, against $6.22 for bare bright copper at the top. That is 70 percent below the general copper scrap rate. Cat5, Cat6 and phone cable at about 48 percent recovery.
Communication wire covers Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, telephone cable and similar multi-pair data cable. It recovers well under 50 percent copper by weight, sits at the bottom of the insulated grades, and cannot sensibly be stripped by hand. It is sold as-is and priced on recovery.
- Versus the general copper scrap rate-70%
- Change today+$0.02
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What communication wire is
Data and phone cable bundles four or more twisted pairs of very fine solid or stranded conductors, each individually insulated, inside an outer jacket. Cat5e and Cat6 are 24 or 23 gauge; telephone cable is often finer.
Two things follow. The copper is a small share of the weight, and each strand is far too thin to strip by hand at any sensible rate. The recovery rate guide puts communication wire below 50 percent, against THHN at 75 and heavy cable at 90.
Where it comes from
Office refits, data centre decommissioning, school and hospital rewires, and telephone exchange upgrades. A single floor of a commercial building can yield hundreds of pounds when structured cabling is pulled out.
Households contribute small amounts: old phone extensions, ethernet runs, and the cable behind a home network.
Why you do not strip it
The stripping analysis puts the break-even near 48 percent recovery. Communication wire sits below that before you count the labour, and the labour is severe: eight fine conductors per cable, each needing individual stripping.
Recyclers handle it by granulation: chopping the cable and separating copper from plastic mechanically. That process is why the grade exists at all. Sold as-is, the cable goes to a granulator; stripped by hand, it has cost you more in time than the copper returns.
Never burn it. Fine conductors burn to nothing useful, and the burning page sets out the legal position.
Communication wire against the other grades
On the table above it sits at the bottom of the insulated grades and well below every solid copper grade. That is correct and expected. The metal content is low, and the price reflects it.
The THHN page and Romex page cover the higher-recovery insulated grades, which should never be mixed with this one.
Getting the communication wire price
Keep it separate. Mixed with THHN or Romex, the lot is paid at communication-wire recovery.
Remove connectors. RJ45 plugs, patch panels and terminal blocks are mixed material and count against you.
Bundle it. Loose cable is hard to weigh and grade. Coils or bags present better.
Sell in volume. Small quantities barely cover a trip. A commercial pull is worth a call to a recycler who granulates.
Ask for the price by recovery. A flat insulated rate under-values THHN and over-values this grade; a recovery-based quote is fair to both.
Communication Wire prices around the world
| Market | Currency | Price | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | USD | $1.74 / lb | ▲ +1.16% |
| Canada | CAD | C$2.33 / lb | ▲ +1.16% |
| United Kingdom | GBP | £2.72 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Australia | AUD | A$5.06 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Germany | EUR | €3.37 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| France | EUR | €3.30 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Italy | EUR | €3.40 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Spain | EUR | €3.30 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Netherlands | EUR | €3.30 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Belgium | EUR | €3.34 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| China | CNY | CN¥25.26 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Japan | JPY | ¥581 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| South Korea | KRW | ₩5,062 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| India | INR | ₹334 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Bangladesh | BDT | ৳415 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Pakistan | PKR | Rs 916 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| UAE | AED | AED 13.38 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Saudi Arabia | SAR | SAR 13.38 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Turkey | TRY | ₺193.33 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| South Africa | ZAR | R 52.03 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Ireland | EUR | €3.20 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Singapore | SGD | S$4.62 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
| Kenya | KES | KSh 417 / kg | ▲ +1.16% |
Where communication wire comes from, market by market
| City | Market | What moves there |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | United Kingdom | Brass in all its forms, graded finely by yellow, red and mixed |
| Manchester | United Kingdom | Copper and brass from rewires and plumbing, graded finely |
| Melbourne | Australia | Stainless and alloys, graded finely by the specialist buyers |
| Delhi | India | Copper and brass, graded finely by the specialist dealers |
| Chittagong | Bangladesh | Plate, beams and heavy marine steel, priced near mill programs |
| Hamburg | Germany | Bare bright and number 1 copper for direct refinery feed |
| Munich | Germany | Fine insulated wire and cable from electronics work |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | Data and communication cable from office refits |
If you are deciding whether to strip this material yourself, the wire stripping machine guide works out which tier of machine your monthly volume justifies, using these live rates.
| Bare Bright Copper | $6.22 / lb |
|---|---|
| Number 1 Copper | $5.95 / lb |
| Number 2 Copper | $5.48 / lb |
| Light Copper | $4.41 / lb |
| Tinned Copper | $5.35 / lb |
| Irony Copper | $3.68 / lb |
| THHN Wire | $2.67 / lb |
| Romex Wire | $2.34 / lb |
| Copper Pipe and Tubing | $5.81 / lb |
| Copper Roofing and Sheet | $4.41 / lb |
| Copper Bus Bar | $6.01 / lb |
For the fine-strand cable stripping cannot handle, the granulator guide works out what granulation is worth per pound and the material volume each machine tier needs to pay back.
Questions people actually ask
What is the communication wire scrap price today?
The live figure is at the top of this page. It is the lowest of the insulated copper grades, priced on recovery well under 50 percent.
Is Cat6 worth more than Cat5?
Marginally, since Cat6 conductors are slightly heavier. Both grade as communication wire and the difference is small.
Should I strip network cable?
No. Eight fine conductors per cable and recovery under 50 percent make hand stripping a loss. Recyclers granulate it instead.
Does phone cable count as communication wire?
Yes, along with data cable, alarm cable and similar multi-pair fine-conductor cable.
Do the plastic connectors matter?
Yes. Cut off RJ45 plugs and any patch panel hardware before weighing.
Is shielded cable different?
Shielded Cat6 carries a foil or braid that is usually aluminium. It grades the same but recovers slightly less copper.
Can I mix it with other insulated wire?
You can, but the whole lot will be paid at this grade's recovery. Keep THHN and Romex separate.
Is a small amount worth taking in?
Rarely on its own. Add it to a larger load or wait until a commercial pull produces volume.
Frequently asked questions
What is the communication wire scrap price today?
The live figure is at the top of this page. It is the lowest of the insulated copper grades, priced on copper recovery that sits well under 50 percent.
Is Cat6 worth more than Cat5 as scrap?
Marginally. Cat6 uses slightly heavier 23 gauge conductors against Cat5e at 24, so it carries a little more copper. Both grade as communication wire and the difference is small.
Should I strip network cable for the copper?
No. Eight fine conductors per cable and recovery under 50 percent make hand stripping a loss before you count the time. Recyclers granulate it mechanically instead.
Does telephone cable count as communication wire?
Yes, along with data cable, alarm cable and any similar multi-pair cable with fine individually insulated conductors.
Do I need to cut the connectors off?
Yes. RJ45 plugs, patch panel hardware and terminal blocks are mixed material and count against the grade. Cut them off before weighing.
Is shielded cable graded differently?
No, but it recovers slightly less copper because the shield is usually aluminium foil or braid. It grades as communication wire like the unshielded kind.
Can I mix communication wire with THHN or Romex?
You can, but the whole lot is paid at the lowest recovery present, which is this grade's. Keep the higher-recovery wire types in separate containers.
Is a small amount of network cable worth taking to a yard?
Rarely on its own. Add it to a larger load, or wait until an office or building pull produces a quantity worth a dedicated trip to a recycler who granulates.