Bright and #1 copper is paying around A$17–21/kg at our Green Fields yard on the guide reviewed 11 October 2026, with insulated copper wire at A$7–15/kg depending on recovery. The final rate is set after grading and weighing on certified scales. Bring it to 12 Belfree Dr: no appointment, paid the same visit.
Each grade is weighed and paid on its own, so the table below is the quickest way to estimate a load. The rates are guide ranges from our 11 October 2026 review; the figure you are paid is set at the counter once your copper has been inspected.
| Grade | What it is | Guide rate (per kg) |
|---|---|---|
 Bare bright copper | Clean, uncoated wire with no insulation, solder or tarnish, usually 1.5 mm or thicker | A$17–21 |
 #1 copper | Clean pipe, tube, busbar and clippings with no paint, solder or fittings | A$17–21 |
| #2 copper | Pipe with solder joints or paint, thin or burnt wire, copper with fittings or residue | Below #1, priced on inspection |
 Insulated copper wire and cable | Cable still in its sheath. Heavy power cable sits near the top of the range, thin flex and data cable near the bottom | A$7–15 |
Two buckets of copper that weigh the same can be worth very different amounts. These are the five things we check, in the order they affect your rate.
Bare bright has to be bare: no enamel, tin plating or tarnish. A dull brown film moves wire down to #1, and green corrosion or a burnt, blackened finish puts it in #2.
Soldered joints, brass unions and steel clamps are not copper, so a pipe carrying them is paid as #2 until they are cut off. The cut-off brass is then paid separately at the brass fittings price.
Insulated cable is priced on the share of its weight that is copper. Thick single-core power cable can be more than half copper; thin flex and data cable carry far less metal for the same weight, which is why the cable range is so wide.
Fine strands from motors and transformers are often enamelled and grade below bare bright. Heavy conductor stripped clean is what reaches the top rate.
Water, mud and plaster add weight that is not metal. Wet or dirty loads are graded down or allowed for, so dry copper stored under cover holds its grade.
Our rates follow the London Metal Exchange copper price and the Australian dollar. When the dollar falls, local copper rates can rise even if the world price is flat.
Copper-plated steel and brass are the two things most often mistaken for copper. A magnet will not stick to copper. Copper is reddish-orange right through, so a scratch that shows a yellow or grey metal underneath means plating or brass, which is worth less per kilo.
Not sure which grade you have? Bring it as it is. We sort it into grades with you, weigh each pile separately and tell you the rate for each before you are paid.
We buy copper from households, plumbers, sparkies, air conditioning techs, builders and workshops, from a bag of offcuts to a ute or trailer load.
Ten minutes of sorting at home usually moves more of your load into a higher grade. Use a separate bucket or bag for bare wire, clean pipe, dirty or soldered copper and cable, so each one is weighed on its own and nothing drags the rest down.
Cut brass taps, unions and soldered joints off clean pipe where it is safe to do so. Pull off clamps, screws, lagging and tape. Strip heavy cable if you have a decent amount of it; leave thin flex as it is, because the labour rarely pays. Keep everything dry.
Never burn insulation off. It is illegal, the smoke is toxic, and the heat oxidises the copper so it grades lower. Our guide to sorting scrap before you sell it covers mixed loads.
The value of a load is each grade’s weight multiplied by its rate, added together. Weigh the grades separately; a mixed pile is paid at the rate of the lowest grade in it.
| Example | Weight | Guide rate | Guide value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bare bright wire | 10 kg | A$17–21/kg | A$170–210 |
| Insulated copper cable | 25 kg | A$7–15/kg | A$175–375 |
SA Copper Scraps buys copper at one fixed yard: 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107, off Salisbury Highway and Port Wakefield Road. It is a short drive from Salisbury, Parafield Gardens and Mawson Lakes, and customers come in from right across Adelaide and regional South Australia.
Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm, Saturday 7:30am to 2:00pm. No booking for everyday loads; call ahead for anything over a few hundred kilos.
A current driver licence or other photo ID. South Australian scrap dealers must record who they buy from, and it protects honest sellers.
We sort your copper into grades with you watching and weigh each grade separately on certified scales.
We confirm the rate for each grade and pay into your account before you leave, so bring your BSB and account number.
Google reviews from people who sell copper and other scrap metal at our Green Fields yard.
Perfect for plumbers. Quick, great rates, no messing around.
Very good staff and very good pricing. Definitely recommend.
Very well priced and very good customer service like always.
Great price, friendly staff.
Good service and excellent price. Keep going guys.
Friendly staff, easy access, great pieces.
Great staff and very welcoming, and best prices in the market.
Bright and #1 copper is worth around A$17–21 per kg at our Green Fields yard on the guide reviewed 11 October 2026. Insulated copper wire pays about A$7–15 per kg depending on how much copper is inside. Your exact rate is confirmed after grading and weighing.
Our guide range is the starting point, but copper moves with the London Metal Exchange and the Australian dollar, so the rate on the day can sit higher or lower. For a large load, call 08 7225 9998 the morning you plan to come in and we will give you the current figure.
Copper pays more per kilo than any other common scrap metal. Brass is usually next, then aluminium, lead and stainless steel, with steel paying the least. That is why copper is worth sorting out of a mixed load before you bring it in.
Bright copper is bare wire with no insulation, coating, solder or tarnish. #2 copper carries solder, paint, fittings, corrosion or burnt residue that has to be processed out. That extra work is why #2 is paid below bright and #1 copper.
Part of the weight is plastic, not metal. Cable is priced on its copper recovery, the share of the weight that is copper, so thick power cable earns far more per kilo than thin flex or data cable wrapped in proportionally more insulation.
Only heavy cable, and only if you have a fair amount. Stripped heavy cable is paid as bright copper. Thin household flex takes too long to strip for the difference it makes, so bring it as it is. Never burn insulation off; it is illegal and lowers the grade.
Pipe with brass fittings or solder still attached is paid as #2 copper, below the #1 rate. Cut the fittings off where it is safe, and the clean pipe moves up to #1 while the brass is paid separately at the brass rate.
Our yard at 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107 buys copper six days a week: Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:00pm and Saturday 7:30am to 2:00pm, with no booking needed. Bring photo ID; your copper is graded in front of you and paid by bank transfer the same visit.
Most copper loads bring something else along. Check these before you sort: copper cable rates for anything still insulated, the brass fittings price for taps and unions you cut off, copper radiator and coil prices for air conditioner coils, and the electric motor scrap price for motors and compressors. Our guide to which scrap metal is worth the most puts copper in context.
Our copper prices are the same for every suburb below. Pick yours for local details and what to bring.
Call for the current rate on your grade, or bring your copper to 12 Belfree Dr, Green Fields SA 5107. Graded and weighed in front of you, paid by bank transfer the same visit.
SA Copper Scraps is a scrap metal buyer and recycler at Green Fields in Adelaide’s north. Bring copper, brass, aluminium, cable, batteries and more to our yard. Every grade is weighed in front of you and paid the same visit.
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