If you’ve walked into a scrap yard lately, you probably noticed the energy is a bit different. It’s frantic. People are hauling loads of old piping and tangled wire like they’re transporting bars of gold. Honestly, they kind of are. As of mid-January 2026, the current cost of scrap copper is hovering at levels that would have seemed like a fever dream just two years ago.
We are seeing Bare Bright copper—the shiny, stripped-clean stuff that recyclers drool over—trading consistently between $5.00 and $5.10 per pound at top-tier yards.
Why the sudden explosion? It’s not just one thing. It's a "perfect storm" of AI data centers needing massive amounts of bus bars, a shaky global mining supply, and the fact that everyone is suddenly realizing we can't build a "green" future without this red metal. If you’ve got a pile of old copper tubing sitting in your garage, you’re basically sitting on a high-yield savings account that pays out in cash.
Breaking Down the Numbers: What’s Your Load Actually Worth?
The price you see on a flickering LED sign at the scrap yard entrance isn't a suggestion. It’s a reflection of the London Metal Exchange (LME) and COMEX markets, which have been on an absolute tear. In early January 2026, LME copper futures smashed through the $13,000 per metric ton barrier.
That translates to serious money in your pocket, but only if you know what you’re holding.
The "Big Three" Grades and Today’s Rates
Don’t just dump your bin and hope for the best. Most yards are currently paying within these ranges, though local demand varies:
- Bare Bright Copper: This is the "clean" stuff. No insulation, no solder, no paint. Just shiny, 12-gauge or larger wire. Expect $5.05/lb on average.
- #1 Copper: Think clean plumbing pipes or tubing without any brass fittings or heavy solder. This is currently pulling in around $4.65 to $4.75/lb.
- #2 Copper: This is the "dirty" category. It has solder, paint, or maybe it’s that burnt-looking wire from a motor. You’re looking at $4.40 to $4.55/lb.
It's wild to think that #2 copper today is worth more than Bare Bright was worth during most of the last decade. But that's the 2026 reality. Even the "low-grade" stuff, like insulated wire or Christmas lights, is seeing a bump. Romex (65% copper) is sitting near $2.30/lb, while those annoying tangled extension cords are fetching about $1.00/lb.
The AI Factor and the 2026 Supply Crunch
You might be wondering why a tech boom in Silicon Valley affects a plumber in Ohio.
Basically, the massive expansion of AI data centers has created a localized "copper sink" in the US. These facilities require immense amounts of copper for power distribution and cooling systems. While Goldman Sachs analysts, including Eoin Dinsmore, have pointed out that we might see a slight surplus later this year as scrap supply increases to meet these high prices, the immediate demand is keeping floors high.
There's also the "Trump Tariff" factor. Throughout late 2025, there was massive stockpiling in the US as businesses feared 15% tariffs on imported refined copper. This drove US domestic prices—often settled on the CME—to a record premium over the rest of the world. Even though the administration eventually pulled back on some of those threats in favor of direct negotiations, the inventory levels in US warehouses remain at historic highs, which acts as a weirdly stabilizing buffer for the current cost of scrap copper.
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Don't Get Ripped Off: How to Maximize Your Payout
Scrapping is a game of details. If you’re lazy, you’re leaving 20% of your money on the table. Honestly, the difference between #2 and Bare Bright is just a few hours with a utility knife or a motorized stripper, but at $5+ a pound, those hours are worth a lot.
Sorting is King
If you bring a mixed bin, the yard will almost always "grade down." They’ll pay you the #2 price for the whole bucket even if 80% of it is #1. Separate your tubing from your wire. Pull the brass fittings off the ends of those pipes. A single brass coupling can downgrade a five-pound pipe from $4.70/lb to $4.45/lb.
Watch the LME Closely
The market is volatile right now. We saw prices drop nearly $1.20 per pound in a single month last year based on a single policy tweet. If you see the LME starting a downward trend, don't "HODL" your copper. Cash out. Conversely, the spring months (March through May) usually see a spike because construction season kicks into high gear.
Use the Apps
I’m a big fan of checking the iScrap App or Rockaway Recycling’s daily updates before I even load the truck. Different yards in the same city can vary by 10 to 15 cents. On a 200-pound haul, that’s a free steak dinner you’re losing just by going to the closer yard.
Is the Copper Boom Sustainable?
There is a lot of debate among the experts right now. Citigroup has been shouting from the rooftops that copper could hit $5.90/lb by the second quarter of 2026. Meanwhile, the more conservative folks at Bank of America are forecasting an average of $5.13/lb for the year.
The reality? We aren't digging new mines fast enough. South American output from Chile and Indonesia has been slipping due to aging mines and labor disputes. Recycling—that’s you—is becoming the "secondary mine" that the world relies on.
Your 2026 Scrapping Action Plan
If you want to capitalize on the current cost of scrap copper, here is how you handle it this week:
- Strip the THHN: If you have thick electrical wire, strip it. The difference between insulated price ($3.10) and Bare Bright ($5.05) is nearly $2.00 per pound.
- Clean your ACRs: If you’re an HVAC tech, don't sell the whole radiator. Cut the steel ends off. Clean Aluminum-Copper Radiators are worth $2.20/lb right now, but "dirty" ones with steel attached drop to $1.45/lb.
- Call Ahead: Prices change by the hour when the market is this jumpy. Ask for the "door price" for Bare Bright before you drive over.
- Check for "Tin-Coated": Sometimes wire looks like silver or aluminum but it's actually copper with a thin tin coating. Don't mix this with Bare Bright; it goes in the #2 pile.
The window for $5.00 copper is wide open right now, but with global inventories shifting, the "correction" the big banks keep talking about could happen any time. Sort your pile, strip your wire, and get to the scale.
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Actionable Next Step: Locate your nearest high-volume scrap yard and compare their "Bare Bright" price against the current $5.05/lb national average to ensure you are receiving a fair market rate for your material.