Copper Scrap Grades Explained — Barley, Berry, Birch, Candy & Cliff

Why Copper Scrap Uses Name Codes

The system of short name codes used in the copper scrap trade was developed decades ago, when contracts were sent over telex and brevity mattered. Each name is a one-word identifier that conveys, by industry convention, the form of the copper, its alloy purity, its surface condition, and the kind of furnace feed it is suitable for.

The specifications are maintained by the Recycled Materials Association (formerly ISRI). They are used in shipments worldwide and form the working language of copper trade contracts.

Barley — Bare Bright Copper Wire

Bare bright copper wire is the highest grade in the copper scrap trade. The specification requires clean, untinned, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire, free of burnt material and brittle wire. The copper content is close to refined metal — typically 99.9% or higher. This is the grade closest in price to the LME copper price itself, with the smallest discount applied for processing.

Berry — Number 1 Copper Wire

Berry is clean copper wire of Number 1 grade — free of insulation, tin, solder, or other coatings. Untinned, unalloyed. The copper content is at least 99%. It is heavier and somewhat less pristine than Barley but still trades at a high price.

Candy and Cliff — Number 1 Heavy Copper

Candy and Cliff are Number 1 copper grades covering copper pipe, tube, bus bar, commutator copper, and similar wrought copper items. The material must be free of solder, brazed joints, and excessive corrosion. Minimum copper content is 98%.

Birch — Number 2 Copper

Birch is Number 2 copper — miscellaneous unalloyed copper scrap that carries light coatings such as paint, light tinning, solder, or attached fittings. Minimum copper content is 96%. The lower purity gives a lower price per tonne, though refining yield is still substantial.

Cobra, Druid, Daniel, Dream — Wire and Cable Grades

These four grades cover variations of copper wire and cable scrap. Cobra is Number 1 copper wire nodules — chopped or shredded clean copper wire. Druid is copper-bearing insulated wire with a high recovery yield. Daniel is heavy copper wire scrap with insulation and a lower recovery yield. Dream is mixed copper-bearing material — low-yield mixed wire and cable scrap.

The lower the recovery yield, the lower the price per gross tonne. Refiners calculate the net copper recovery and price accordingly.

How Prices Are Calculated

Copper scrap prices are tied to the underlying LME copper price, with a discount applied for each grade reflecting the cost of processing, the yield, and the market for the residual contaminants. The LME price, refining cost, and the grade discount together produce the daily scrap price.

For more on copper scrap and the principal markets, see the Copper Melting Scrap page on this site.