EcoScrap.ca buys scrap copper and brass from auto repair shops, HVAC contractors, muffler and exhaust shops, body shops and private sellers across the GTA and anywhere within 200 km of Toronto. We come to you, load it ourselves, grade and weigh it in front of you, and pay cash on the spot (Interac e-Transfer if you prefer). For today’s scrap copper price, call (647) 915-5440.

Learn more about copper and Canada’s metal recycling industry at the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI).

Copper and brass are the most valuable everyday metals a shop throws in the bin. A few pails of clean copper pipe, a stack of old radiators or a drum of brass fittings can be worth far more than a full bin of steel, but only if it is sorted and sold to a buyer who grades it properly. This page explains exactly what we buy, how scrap copper is graded, how to sort it for more money and how our free pickup works.

What scrap copper and brass does EcoScrap buy?

We buy every common grade of scrap copper and brass that comes out of automotive, HVAC and exhaust work, plus household and renovation copper from private sellers. If it is mostly copper or brass, call us — we would rather look at it than have it go to the landfill or a mixed steel bin.

• Bare bright copper – clean, shiny, stripped copper wire with no insulation, tarnish, solder or coating.
• #1 copper – clean copper pipe and tubing with no fittings, solder or paint, plus thick clean copper wire, bus bar and clippings.
• #2 copper – copper pipe with solder, fittings or paint, tarnished or oxidized wire, tinned wire and thinner copper scrap.
• Insulated copper wire – battery cables, wiring harnesses, extension cords, building wire, welding cable and communication cable.
• Copper and brass radiators – older automotive, truck and equipment radiators with copper cores and brass tanks.
• Heater cores – copper/brass heater cores from cars, trucks and buses.
• AC coils (copper/aluminum) – condenser and evaporator coils with copper tubes and aluminum fins, from vehicles and HVAC units.
• Yellow brass – fittings, valves, plumbing parts, hose barbs, brass nuts, shells and cast brass parts.
• Red brass and bronze – water meters, gate valves, pump parts and bronze bushings (sorted separately when possible).
• Copper-bearing parts – alternators, starters and electric motors, which we also buy with our scrap car parts service.

We also take the steel, aluminum and mixed scrap metal that comes with a load. If you have catalytic converters, rims or rotors in the same pile, see our pages on catalytic converters, scrap alloy rims and brake rotors and drums — we can take everything in one trip.

How is scrap copper graded?

Scrap copper is graded by purity and cleanliness. The cleaner and more unalloyed the copper, the less work a smelter or refinery needs to do, so the higher the grade. Most North American buyers use grade names based on the ISRI (now ReMA) Scrap Specifications Circular, and the grades below are what you will hear when you sell scrap copper in Toronto or anywhere in Ontario.

The table below is a practical summary of the main grades we see from shops. It is a guide, not a quote — prices change daily with the copper market, so call for today’s numbers.

Grade	What it looks like	Common shop sources	Relative value
Bare bright copper	Shiny, stripped, uncoated wire, no tarnish	Stripped building wire, clean heavy-gauge wire	Highest
#1 copper	Clean pipe, tubing, thick wire, bus bar; no solder or paint	HVAC line sets cut clean, plumbing offcuts	Very high
#2 copper	Pipe with solder or fittings, tarnished or tinned wire	Renovation pipe, soldered joints, burnt wire	High
Insulated copper wire	Copper wire still in plastic or rubber jacket	Battery cables, harnesses, extension cords	Depends on copper recovery
Copper/brass radiators	Copper core, brass tanks, no plastic	Older cars, trucks, heavy equipment	Medium–high
Heater cores	Small copper/brass cores	Cars, trucks, buses	Medium
AC coils (Cu/Al)	Copper tubes with aluminum fins	Vehicle condensers, HVAC coils	Medium
Yellow brass	Gold-coloured fittings, valves, castings	Plumbing, hose fittings, brass hardware	Medium–high
Red brass / bronze	Reddish fittings, valves, water meters	Valves, pumps, bushings	Higher than yellow brass

For a deep dive into each grade, including how scrap yards test and downgrade material, read our guide Copper Scrap Grades Explained.

Bare bright copper

Bare bright is the top grade of scrap copper. It is unalloyed, uncoated copper wire that has been stripped of all insulation and has a bright, clean, salmon-pink colour. It should not be tarnished, painted, tinned or burnt, and very fine hair-thin wire usually does not qualify.

Most bare bright comes from electricians and renovators who strip heavy building wire. In shops, it shows up when someone strips thick battery cable or welding cable cleanly. If you strip it yourself, keep it in its own pail so it never mixes with lower grades.

#1 copper

#1 copper is clean, unalloyed copper that is not quite bright enough for bare bright, or that comes in pipe and tube form. Clean copper tubing with no solder, fittings, paint or insulation is #1. So is heavy copper wire with light oxidation, copper bus bar and clean copper punchings.

For HVAC contractors, #1 copper is the grade to aim for. When you replace a line set, cut off the brazed ends and fittings and you turn #2 copper into #1 copper on the spot.

#2 copper

#2 copper is still mostly copper but carries contamination: solder, paint, fittings, heavy oxidation, tin coating or thin burnt wire. Old plumbing pipe with soldered joints and brass fittings attached is classic #2. It is still valuable scrap copper, just at a lower price per kilogram than #1.

Insulated copper wire

Insulated wire is priced by how much copper you get back after the insulation is removed, which yards call the recovery rate. Thick single-conductor cable like battery cable and welding cable has high recovery. Thin wiring harnesses, phone wire and Christmas lights have low recovery because most of the weight is plastic.

Do not burn insulation off wire. Burning is harmful, often illegal under Ontario environmental rules, and it actually lowers the grade because burnt wire is downgraded to #2 copper. Sell it insulated or strip it mechanically.

Scrap copper radiators, heater cores and AC coils

Automotive and HVAC shops produce a steady stream of heat-exchange parts. These contain copper and brass but also solder, steel brackets, plastic tanks or aluminum fins, so they have their own grades.

Copper and brass radiators

Older car, truck and heavy-equipment radiators were built with copper cores and brass tanks. These are worth considerably more than modern aluminum and plastic radiators. Remove steel brackets, mounting hardware and any plastic shrouds or overflow tanks. Drain the coolant completely before pickup.

Modern aluminum radiators with plastic tanks are a different, lower grade. We buy those too, but keep them separate from copper/brass radiators so your good scrap copper is not averaged down.

Heater cores

Heater cores are small radiators that sit under the dashboard. Older and heavy-duty units are copper and brass, while many newer units are aluminum. Keep copper/brass heater cores with your copper radiators and pull off any plastic end tanks or steel clips if you can.

AC coils and condensers (copper/aluminum)

Vehicle AC condensers and HVAC coils usually have copper tubes running through thin aluminum fins. Yards call these Cu/Al coils or ACR-style coils. They are worth more than plain aluminum but less than clean scrap copper because the metals are mixed.

Any refrigerant must be properly recovered by a licensed technician before a coil or compressor is scrapped. Cut off steel brackets and frames where practical. Coils that are clean, with no steel and no attached hoses, grade higher.

Selling scrap brass in Ontario

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Most scrap brass Ontario shops produce is yellow brass from fittings and valves. Because it is mostly copper, scrap brass trades at a solid price, usually below #2 copper but well above aluminum and steel. The two main kinds you will see are yellow brass and red brass.

Yellow brass fittings

Yellow brass is the gold-coloured brass used in plumbing fittings, compression fittings, hose barbs, valves, brass nuts, flare fittings, faucet bodies and decorative hardware. In auto shops it turns up as brake-line and fuel-line fittings, transmission cooler fittings and air-line couplers.

Clean yellow brass has no steel, plastic, rubber or iron attached. Valves with steel handles or stems should have those removed or will be graded lower. A magnet is your friend: if a “brass” piece sticks to a magnet, it is plated steel or has steel inside.

Red brass and bronze

Red brass has more copper than yellow brass and a pinkish-red tone. Water meters, gate valves, globe valves and pump housings are often red brass. Bronze (copper with tin) appears as bushings, bearings and some marine hardware. Keep red brass and bronze separate from yellow brass if you have enough of it.

Who we buy scrap copper and brass from

We work with businesses and people who generate copper and brass every week, as well as one-time sellers clearing out a garage or job site.

• Auto repair and mechanic shops – radiators, heater cores, AC condensers, battery cables, harnesses, alternators and starters. See our mechanic shop scrap pickup page.
• HVAC and refrigeration contractors – line sets, copper tubing, AC coils, condensing units and brass valves.
• Muffler and exhaust shops – brass fittings and hardware along with exhaust scrap and converters. See our scrap program for mechanic, tire and muffler shops.
• Tire shops – brass valve stems and cores mixed in with rims and wheel weights. See tire shop scrap pickup.
• Body shops and dealership service departments – radiators, condensers, wiring and copper-bearing parts from collision repairs.
• Fleet operators – truck radiators, heavy cable and parts from fleet maintenance.
• Plumbers, electricians and renovators – pipe, wire and brass fittings from job sites.
• Homeowners and private sellers – old wire, pipe and fixtures from renovations, and junk cars with copper still inside.

How our scrap copper pickup works

Selling scrap copper to EcoScrap takes one phone call. We handle the loading, weighing and payment at your location.

1. Call (647) 915-5440. Tell us what types of copper and brass you have, roughly how much, and where you are.
2. Get a free quote. We give you today’s price per grade based on the live copper market.
3. Book a pickup time. Same-day or next-day pickup is often available across the GTA.
4. We arrive and load it. Our crew loads pails, bins, radiators and coils ourselves — you do not need a forklift.
5. We grade and weigh on site. Each grade is weighed separately in front of you so you see exactly what you are paid for.
6. You get paid on the spot. Cash on pickup, or Interac e-Transfer if you prefer.
7. We recycle it responsibly. Your scrap copper goes to licensed processors and back into new copper products.

For larger or recurring loads, see our scrap metal pickup page and our guide to free scrap pickup within 200 km of Toronto.

What determines the price of scrap copper?

There is no fixed price for scrap copper. The number you are paid depends on a few factors, and understanding them helps you get more for every load.

• The copper market. Scrap copper prices follow global copper prices on exchanges like the LME and COMEX, which move every trading day.
• Grade and purity. Bare bright pays more than #1, #1 pays more than #2, and so on down to insulated wire and mixed coils.
• Contamination. Steel, solder, plastic, rubber, oil, coolant and dirt all reduce value. A single steel fitting can drop a whole pail of #1 copper to #2.
• Quantity. Larger, consistent volumes are cheaper to handle per kilogram, so bigger loads can earn a better rate.
• Sorting. Pre-sorted scrap copper and brass is faster to grade and avoids being averaged down to the lowest grade in the pile.

Because the market moves daily, we do not publish fixed prices online. Call (647) 915-5440 and we will give you today’s price for each grade you have.

How to sort scrap copper for more money

Sorting is the single easiest way to earn more from scrap copper. Mixed pails are always paid at the lower grade, so a few minutes of sorting can pay back many times over.

Set up separate bins or pails

Give each grade its own labelled container: bare bright, #1 copper, #2 copper, insulated wire, radiators and heater cores, AC coils, yellow brass and red brass. Five-gallon pails work for small grades; use bins or pallets for radiators and coils.

Use the magnet and scratch tests

Keep a strong magnet near your scrap area. Copper and brass are not magnetic, so anything that sticks is steel, plated steel or has a steel insert. A quick scratch with a file shows the true metal under paint or plating: copper is pinkish-red, yellow brass is gold, and steel is grey.

Remove the easy contamination

• Cut soldered ends and fittings off copper pipe to upgrade it from #2 to #1.
• Remove steel brackets, bolts and clamps from radiators and coils.
• Take plastic tanks off radiators and heater cores where possible.
• Pull steel handles and stems off brass valves.
• Drain all coolant and oil, and keep scrap copper dry and clean.

Keep wire separated by type

Separate thick single-conductor cable such as battery and welding cable from thin harness wire and cords. High-recovery wire is worth noticeably more, and mixing the two means you get paid at the lower rate.

Common mistakes that lower your scrap copper price

Most lost value on scrap copper comes from a handful of avoidable habits. Watch for these in your shop:

• Leaving fittings on pipe. A brass fitting or soldered joint on otherwise clean pipe drops it to #2 copper.
• Mixing radiator types. One aluminum/plastic radiator in a stack of copper/brass radiators can get the whole stack graded lower.
• Burning wire. Burnt wire is downgraded and burning insulation is harmful to your health and the environment.
• Leaving coolant or oil inside. Wet radiators, heater cores and coils weigh more but are graded lower and are messy to handle.
• Hiding steel inside a load. Steel buried in a pail of copper is always found at grading and costs you trust and money.
• Waiting too long. Scrap copper that sits outside for years oxidizes and collects dirt, so it is worth less than when it came off the job.

Scrap copper from junk cars and used car parts

Every vehicle carries copper. A typical car has wiring harnesses running through the body and dash, battery cables, copper windings inside the alternator, starter and electric motors, and on older models a copper/brass radiator and heater core. Trucks and buses carry even more.

If you are scrapping a whole vehicle, the copper is included in our junk car price, so you do not need to strip it out. See cash for junk cars and our step-by-step guide on how to sell a junk car in Ontario. If you are a shop with loose parts, alternators, starters and harnesses can go on the same pickup as your scrap copper and brass.

Scrap copper for HVAC contractors

HVAC and refrigeration contractors generate some of the best scrap copper around: line sets, copper tubing offcuts, coil replacements and brass service valves. Because most of it is clean tubing, a little care on the job turns it into #1 copper.

Ask your techs to cut brazed ends and fittings off line sets before they go in the truck, keep coils separate from tubing, and drop brass valves in their own pail. Old condensing units can be picked up whole once the refrigerant has been properly recovered. We are happy to set up regular pickups at your shop or yard so your crews never have to make a trip to a scrap yard.

Tips to get more money for your scrap copper and brass

Beyond sorting, these simple habits help shops get the most from every load of scrap copper and brass:

• Save it up. A bigger, well-sorted load is more efficient to pick up and grade. Many shops book us when their bins are full.
• Keep it out of the steel bin. Copper and brass thrown in with steel are lost value. Train staff to put every copper and brass part in the right pail.
• Store it indoors or covered. Dry, clean scrap copper grades better, and keeping it inside discourages theft.
• Strip only when it pays. Stripping thick cable to bare bright can pay; stripping thin harness wire by hand rarely does.
• Ask about a shop program. Regular scheduled pickups mean your bins never overflow and you are paid on every visit.
• Bundle with other scrap. Combine copper with catalytic converters, rims, car batteries and other parts to make a single pickup worthwhile.

Why sell scrap copper to EcoScrap?

• We come to you. Free pickup anywhere within 200 km of Toronto, so you do not lose a technician for half a day driving to a yard.
• Cash on the spot. You are paid at pickup, in cash or by Interac e-Transfer.
• Transparent grading. Each grade is weighed separately in front of you and we explain any downgrade.
• Prices based on the live market. Our quotes follow today’s copper market, not a stale price list.
• We take everything. Copper, brass, aluminum, steel, catalytic converters, rims, rotors, batteries and whole junk cars.
• Responsible buying. We check government photo ID and keep proper records. We do not buy stolen material.

Learn more about EcoScrap or browse all our services.

Free scrap copper pickup within 200 km of Toronto

We pick up scrap copper and brass across the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe, including Peel, York, Durham and Halton regions, Hamilton, Niagara, Waterloo Region and Simcoe County. Find your city below:

• Toronto & GTA: Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill
• Halton & Hamilton: Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Hamilton, plus Stoney Creek, Georgetown and Halton Hills
• Durham Region: Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa, plus Bowmanville and Clarington
• York Region & north: Newmarket, Aurora, Barrie, plus King City, Stouffville, Bradford, Innisfil and Orillia
• Waterloo Region & southwest: Kitchener, Cambridge, Guelph, Brantford, London, plus Waterloo, Woodstock and Stratford
• Niagara & east: St. Catharines, Peterborough, plus Niagara Falls, Welland, Grimsby, Port Hope and Cobourg

Whether you need to sell scrap copper Toronto-side in Etobicoke or Scarborough, or you are one of the many scrap brass Ontario sellers in Hamilton, Barrie or Kitchener, the process is the same. If you are within about 200 km of the city, we can come to you. Not sure if you are in range? Call (647) 915-5440 and ask.

What you need when you sell scrap copper

Copper theft is a real problem for contractors, utilities and building owners, so legitimate buyers take identification seriously. When you sell scrap copper or brass to EcoScrap:

• Show valid government-issued photo ID at pickup.
• Be ready to tell us where the material came from (shop work, renovation, HVAC replacement and so on).
• Businesses can provide a company name for their records and ours.

We record each transaction. This protects you, protects us and keeps stolen copper out of the recycling stream. We do not buy material we believe is stolen, including new-looking copper wire still on reels, utility cable or anything with identifying marks. This is general information, not legal advice.

Scrap copper recycling and Ontario’s circular economy

Copper can be recycled again and again without losing its properties, which is why scrap copper is such an important raw material. Recycled copper takes far less energy to process than mining and refining new ore, and it keeps valuable metal out of landfills.

Ontario’s waste policies encourage businesses to divert recyclable material from landfill. Selling your scrap copper and brass to a recycler, rather than throwing it out, is good for your bottom line and supports a circular economy. The Canadian recycling industry, represented by groups like CARI, depends on clean, well-sorted scrap from shops like yours.

Frequently asked questions about selling scrap copper