Scrap cable Brisbane
Scrap cable Brisbane: show what is inside the insulation
Cable is assessed by its recoverable metal content, construction and condition—not by insulation colour or a single flat cable rate.
Illustrative industry image
Material overview01
Start with the cable form
Two cables of the same outside diameter can contain very different amounts of copper or aluminium. Conductor size, insulation thickness, plugs, armour, shielding, connectors and contamination all affect how a parcel is described and assessed.
Common enquiry examples
- Electrical installation offcuts
- Power and appliance cable
- Data and communications cable
- Armoured and screened cable
- Wiring looms
- Enamelled winding wire
Acceptance is load-specific
Grade guide02
How cable is described
Use the closest description you can support, then show the material clearly. Final identification is based on the actual parcel.
- Bare copper wire
- Clean uncoated copper wire may fit a copper grade rather than an insulated-cable grade. Fine strands, enamel and residue can change that assessment.
- High-recovery insulated cable
- Cable with a relatively high copper proportion. Show a clean cross-section beside the full parcel so conductor size and insulation thickness are visible.
- Low-recovery insulated cable
- Data, communications, flex and other cable with more insulation or lower conductor content. Keep visibly different cable types separate where practical.
- Armoured, screened and mixed cable
- Steel armour, plugs, junctions, shielding and mixed conductor metals need specific assessment. Include markings and a cross-section rather than guessing the recovery.
Quote basis03
What can change the assessment
A material name is only the start. Composition, preparation, quantity and handling details make the quote useful.
- Recoverable metal content
- The proportion of copper or aluminium to insulation and other material is central to the grade.
- Cable construction
- Armour, shielding, plugs, connectors, steel draw wire and mixed conductor metals affect processing and yield.
- Separation
- Keeping installation offcuts, data cable, armoured cable and wiring looms apart makes each group easier to assess.
- Quantity and market movement
- Send a realistic weight or container size and request a current assessment for the actual parcel.
MetalBase does not publish a generic rate on this guide. Request a current assessment for the actual material and confirm the terms before handover.
Read the pricing guideBefore you enquire04
Prepare four useful details
Clear photos and realistic measurements reduce avoidable back-and-forth.
- 01
Sort by cable type
Keep power, data, armoured, screened and aluminium cable separate where practical. - 02
Photograph a cross-section
Show the conductor and insulation together, plus any printing along the sheath. - 03
Leave unsafe stripping alone
Do not burn insulation or use unsafe methods to chase a higher grade; ask whether stripping is worthwhile. - 04
Describe the source
Say whether the cable is clean installation offcut, demolition recovery, a wiring loom or mixed material.
No public customer yard
Do I need to strip scrap cable before requesting a quote?
No. Send photos of the cable and a clean cross-section first. Stripping can take more time than the grade difference justifies, and insulation must never be burned off.
How is insulated copper cable graded?
The assessment considers recoverable copper content, conductor size, insulation, armour, shielding, plugs, contamination and whether different cable types are separated.
Can aluminium cable be included in an enquiry?
Yes, identify it clearly and keep it separate from copper cable. Send conductor markings or a cross-section when the metal is uncertain.
Can MetalBase collect bulk cable in Brisbane?
Customer-site collection is available, with minimum volume, access, equipment, timing and commercial terms confirmed for the proposed parcel and address.