A modern car contains an average of one to two kilometres of copper wiring in its harness. This hidden copper represents significant value and is an important part of the recycling process at our scrap yard. Here is how wiring harness recycling works.
Copper Content
Vehicle wiring harnesses contain between 15 and 30 kilograms of copper depending on the car’s size and specification. Premium vehicles with more electronic features contain more copper. Electric vehicles contain even more due to their high-voltage cabling. This copper has real commodity value that contributes to your scrap quote from our car scrappers.
Extraction Process
After our car dismantlers remove major components, the wiring harness is extracted from the vehicle shell. Some facilities remove harnesses manually before crushing, while others rely on post-shredder separation. Our auto breakers yard uses a combination of both methods for maximum copper recovery.
Processing
Extracted wiring goes through granulation machines that chop the cable into small pieces, then density-based separation systems divide the copper from the plastic insulation. The resulting copper granules are 99% pure and ready for smelting into new copper products. The plastic insulation is also recycled where possible.
Environmental Importance
Copper mining is environmentally destructive, involving large open-pit mines, chemical processing, and significant energy consumption. Recycled copper requires 85% less energy than primary copper production. Every wiring harness recovered from a vehicle at our breakers yard reduces the need for new copper mining.
Electric Vehicle Copper
Electric vehicles contain up to four times more copper than conventional cars. The high-voltage battery cables, motor windings, and charging system all use significant copper quantities. As more EVs reach our electric car scrapping service, copper recovery becomes even more important.
Every component counts. Scrap your car responsibly. Free collection across Scotland.