Recycling copper

To date, it is estimated that only 12% - 13% of all known copper reserves have been mined. However, it is important to conserve the remaining ore by recycling.

Copper and copper alloys such as brass can be recycled, over and over, with no loss in quality. This contrasts with the recycling of plastics where the recycled material is of a poorer quality. Different types of copper alloy material must be kept separate to guarantee the properties of the recycled metal. This is a bit like sorting glass into green, brown and clear for recycling.

Recycling copper and its alloys is very energy efficient. Recycling needs only 15% of the energy required to mine and extract new copper, helping to conserve the world's supply of fossil fuels and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The alloy brass, a mixture of copper and zinc, is almost 100% recycled and about 40% of new products containing copper are made using recycled material. Recycling reduces the need for waste disposal, for example landfill.  It is cheaper to recycle copper than to mine and extract new copper. Recycled copper is worth up to 90% of the cost of the original copper. Recycling helps to keep the cost of copper products down.