Copper is considered one of the easiest types of metal to recycle. Not to mention, it is also one of the metals that is in the highest demand. From the electrical wiring that powers your home to the parts in your vehicle, there are so many products around you that require copper to function. If you are looking to make some extra cash, recycling copper can help. Here are a few questions you may have. 

Why is it important to the environment to recycle copper?

Copper is considered a finite resource; eventually, there may not be enough left to mine to suffice for the incredible demand. Therefore, recycling copper scrap is incredibly important to keep production processes going. Furthermore, copper recycling helps reduce the amount of energy utilized to mine and produce new copper materials. 

Is it really worth it to strip rubber from copper wires for recycling?

If your local copper recycling center or the ecycling center you are working with online is like most, they will offer to buy clean and "dirty" copper wiring. Dirty wire is essentially copper wire that is yet to be stripped. Naturally, the unstripped wire is going to be less valuable and likely fetch you a smaller cash return. However, if you do not have the proper equipment or do not have the time for wire stripping, it is more feasible to sell the wire as-is or dirty. 

Can you sell copper when it is mixed with other metal alloys?

You can sell copper when it is mixed with other alloys; it just may not be as valuable or fetch the same return at the metal recycling center. It is extremely common for copper to be combined with other metals to create a less-expensive product. Therefore, you will find a lot of metals that may look like copper and may have similar qualities, but it could very well be incorporated with other metals. 

How is brass related to copper?

Brass is a secondary metal alloy that is created by combining copper with zinc. While bras can be recycled just the same as copper, it is usually not considered as valuable because it is an alloy and not a solid-state metal. However, most recycling centers do offer a fairly attractive price for brass as well as copper, so they are both very worthy of packing to the recycling center if you are looking to make a bit of extra cash.