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Recently I discovered that different pricing by weight for sending packages via: USPS. I guess I just always assumed that dimension was the only metric that played a role in shipping until you reach the max weight. In hindsight, I realize that I came to this conclusion without consulting the critical thought department in my brain.

Anyways, running with the logic that the price is solely dependent upon the dimension of the package I figured that if I could create more room for other items per shipment, I would be increasing my bottom line for that particular invoice. So for my mixed wired I would cut up to sizes no longer than 3" during down time. It then dawned on me. I don't know what the process is for recovery/recycling with wire. Going even further, I have a vague understanding of the path any material will be on once I sell it off.

[b]So my question for BS is, are there materials that can be broken down too far? For boards, is it acceptable to segment a board like a desktop MB or other larger boards?[/b] Obviously, I can see someone's face getting red with anger if someone were to send in a bag full of copper dust, but what about if someone had a grinder and sent in a bag of chips? I know this is barely a legitimate topic to discuss but I also realize I am not smart enough to be the first to come up with an idea.

Oh… here we go.
lol ;)

I’ve discussed everything here that has been asked—I’ll be back to this thread in a few when I have proper time— about recycling different materials from an insiders’ view. If I don’t know I make a few phone calls and ask.

For a dnd reference, I’ll die on my hill with a broken rusty sword knowing I’m correct in saying anything man can make can be unmade.

Bulk wire is in the same class as plastic and “stainless” steel when it comes to recycling.
It’s difficult.

The generic buyers and “refiners” do exactly what bad scrappers do, burn the wire in a pit and sell it as 0250 copper waste.
With the price of copper today that’s happily rare. Most companies will sell their wire upstream.

Proper recycling of wires involves multiple steps.

Generically—:
First wire longer than 3 inches is automatically sorted by wire width (with jacket on).

After width sort it is run into automated strippers that are literally high air driven gravity drops with a huge knife blade in the hole.

Tumbler machines separate the wires from the plastic enclosure. Plastics (the three most common) are XRF scanned and sorted accordingly.

From there gigantic powerful electromagnets pull out anything ferromagnetic. Fm stainless, steel, nickel, and some bronzes.
The rest moves on as copper or aluminium. (And 400 stainless)

A quick hydrogen Florida chloride bath and then colour separation of aluminium and nickel (white/grey) from copper (red/orange) from bronze (brown). Most large companies will also live stream yet on the red brown and white streams to find silver gold and palladium.
A high end brass like you find in aerospace is almost identical in looks to 14-18kt gold

Across the board with non magnetic wire sources the end metals are compressed into gigantic blocks and put on a pallet. Off to be melted.

On the FM side, things are a bit different.
Wire metal is sorted my colour automatically.
Gold plated steel? If you’re old enough that’s token ring wires.
Clean nickel is $6 per pound today
And silver plated nickel wire is common in A/V and HVAC.


Wait, I’m ranting. What was the original question? Oh… yes, too processed?
That’s a blatant yes and a duh with a facepalm
For boardsort , shredding your materials is gonna get you steel recovery rate. If that.
Selling to an actual refiner (don’t take the first offer there are only 18 in this country, most “refiners” are just upsellers), shredding is the best option you have. They charge a fee by time to breakdown materials. Subtracted from the value of the materials recovered minus 10-25%

If you want to know if you should remove something post it in the what is it and ask if it should be remove. 75% ish of the time the answer is no. It best to be sure.

Don’t want to sell a high telco board for peripheral rate over a single capacitor or bracket!

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I'm with you on all of what you said. I was probably falling short of concisely conveying what I was asking and where my thought process was. I was asking more to do with consolidation rather, than the general question of "If I remove this, how will this payout". I would hope that anyone using boardsort as their recycler would know that they can damage a material's grade easily through removal of components.

We all know you'd be hard pressed to find a yard that would accept copper where the method for removal of insulation is a fire. However, I have never had a yard tell me that the length of wire will affect the price. To piggy back on that any feature of a material that will or could affect the price and description is usually disclosed. At the end of the day, in my experience, it has always been that a material falls into one category and the form of it has never determined anything unless specifically referring to weight. This is the reason it didn't dawn on me that I better ask about my consolidation tactic. To be fair I have seen different prices for turnings.

To be clear, I wasn't asking for information into how the material was processed once it leaves my home when doing business with BS (although I enjoyed reading). I meant my question to be more of a general thought and to provide insight into my reasoning for my question. I tend to ask questions that I feel others could also benefit from having an answer to. Admittedly, this is the first time of the few posts I have created that I did not perform a search with in the forum for. I try not be one of those seeking reward without putting in an effort that is equal to.

Either way I got my answer and I appreciate the time into your response!

I’ve been at this too long, lol. I focused in on “what the process is for recovery/recycling with wire”
Boardsort will buy your wire no matter how short or long. Anyone who has opened a power brick or charger has see some tiny wires. I tend to use large freezer bags for small wires.
Wire makes good packing material as well when shipping to BS.

Turnings are easy to recognise and easy to recover so you get a spike of a bit for easy clean recycling. Just like sweepings will always carry a slightly lower rate because of contamination.

The premise of shredding as a consumer seller is difficult for a simple recycling process. Board sort can’t turn around and tell the next destination in line this is what he told me. If you get my premise. A few things I do shred I have a very very long-term relationship with my buyer and them with their refiner.

We’re definitely not the 1st to think of such a method. If I had the volume of truckloads and a direct line to the refinery, I would be doing that on a regular basis.

I already compress and shred aluminium drinking cans for space reasons and again a long-term relationship with the recycling facility I sold them to.

I strip shred cardboard boxes to make packing material after I’ve removed any plastic tape.

Your premise is not faulty; just impractical in today’s economy.

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