From telecom upgrades and fiber rollouts to electrical rewiring and municipal streetlight projects, contractors handle thousands of feet of cable every year. When a job wraps up, crews often find themselves with piles of leftover copper or aluminum cable — sometimes mixed, sometimes damaged, sometimes still tightly coiled from a partial spool.
Throwing this material into a dumpster is expensive and wasteful. Cable recycling not only keeps valuable metals out of landfills but also creates a steady revenue stream for contractors who handle large-scale infrastructure work.
This guide explains everything telecom, electrical, and city contractors need to know about cable recycling — including how to handle excess cable, what types are accepted, how to maximize returns, and who to partner with in Colorado.
Why Cable Recycling Matters
For contractors who routinely replace or install telecom or electrical infrastructure, cables represent a high-value waste stream. Recycling them pays off in several ways:
- Recovering Valuable Copper and Aluminum: Most utility and telecom cables contain either copper or aluminum, both of which command strong scrap pricing. Even insulated cable maintains significant value when recycled properly.
- Reducing Disposal Costs: Cable is heavy and weight drives landfill fees. Recycling diverts material from mixed waste streams, cutting disposal and hauling expenses.
- Supporting Sustainability and Compliance: Cities, utilities, and commercial clients increasingly expect documented recycling practices. Recycled cable contributes to ESG reporting, municipal sustainability targets, and contractual waste-diversion requirements.
- Keeping Job Sites Clean and Safe: Cable scrap can tangle equipment, create tripping hazards, and crowd work areas. Dedicated cable recycling prevents clutter and improves workflow.
Types of Cable That Can Be Recycled
Iron & Metals accepts most metal-bearing cables commonly found on major projects:
Copper Cable
- Heavy-gauge power cable
- Telecom and communications cable
- Building wire (THHN, Romex)
- Grounding wire
- Control cable
- Streetlight and signal wire
Copper is the highest-value cable type and delivers the best return when separated from other materials.
Aluminum Cable
- Service-entrance cable
- ACSR and utility-grade aluminum conductor
- Aluminum building wire
- Street and traffic signal cable
Aluminum is lighter and pays less per pound, but high volumes from municipal or telecom work add up quickly.
Armored Cable (BX/MC)
These contain copper or aluminum wrapped in metal sheathing. They are recyclable, but removing fittings and excessive contamination improves payout.
What Can’t Be Recycled with Metal Cable
- Fiber-only cable
- Cable with lithium-ion battery packs
- Cable attached to electronics or screens
These items require specialized disposal, but the metal-bearing components are still highly recyclable.
What To Do With Leftover Cable After Major Jobs
Contractors often ask:
“What’s the best way to handle all this leftover cable?”
Here are the most effective options:
- Collect Cable in Dedicated Bins: Keep cable separate from demolition debris, trash, or dirt. Using dedicated containers ensures higher scrap value and easier handling.
- Sort by Material When Possible: Copper and aluminum should be collected separately. Mixed loads are still accepted but may receive blended pricing.
- Remove Connectors and Hardware: Stripping isn’t required, but removing metal connectors, cast fittings, and excessive plastic improves payout and speeds processing.
- Store Cable Securely: Copper cable is a theft target. Keep bins locked, covered, and in well-lit areas.
- Schedule Pickup or Drop-Off: Iron & Metals offers roll-off containers for large projects, bin delivery for long-term infrastructure work, drive-on drop-off at our Denver facility, and fast payment based on market value.
How Contractors Maximize Scrap Value
Getting the best return from cable recycling comes down to a few simple habits:
- Separate High-Value Materials: Bare copper, THHN, and heavy-gauge cable always earn the best pricing. Keeping them clean and separate is worth the effort.
- Keep Cable Dry and Clean: Moisture and soil don’t ruin cable, but they do complicate processing and may reduce value.
- Don’t Strip Light-Gauge Wire: Stripping thin wire wastes labor time and rarely increases earnings. Heavy-gauge cable, however, may justify stripping depending on market prices.
- Use a Trusted Recycler: Not every scrap yard pays the same. Local, metal-focused recyclers like Iron & Metals offer transparent and market-based pricing, accurate grading, fast and fair payment, and pickup service for large volumes ensuring contractors get the best return for their material.
Why Telecom, Electrical, and City Crews Work With Iron & Metals Inc
Contractors choose Iron & Metals because we specialize in copper and aluminum cable recycling and offer roll-off containers sized for major projects. Our convenient, fast drop-off service makes recycling easy, and we pay premium rates for clean, well-separated cable.
We also provide the documentation required for municipal or utility compliance and bring more than 60 years of experience supporting Colorado’s infrastructure crews. Whether you’re rewiring a building, upgrading a neighborhood grid, or replacing miles of telecom cable, our team makes recycling both efficient and profitable.
Conclusion
Cable recycling is one of the simplest ways contractors can reduce costs, improve sustainability, and recover significant value from leftover materials. With the right sorting practices and a reliable recycling partner, miles of scrap cable can turn into measurable revenue instead of expensive landfill waste.
Iron & Metals is proud to support Colorado’s telecom, electrical, and municipal teams with fair pricing, fast service, and dependable recycling expertise.
Recycle smarter. Earn more. Keep Colorado’s infrastructure projects moving. Contact our team to learn more.
