Recent research has revealed the future challenges of copper consumption

Research has shown us that copper is extremely important within our everyday lives, for example, it is in the technology that we use, the medical equipment, it is also in our transport and finally, our energy system. Due to coppers importance, industries have witnessed a significant growth in demand. In May 2024, copper reached its peak price of $11,000 per tonne.

Research compiled through a collaboration between Material Focus, Bloomberg Intelligence, and the Royal Society of Chemistry shows that that there is a large gap forming between the amount of copper that is currently being produced, and the demand for that copper, both in the UK and internationally. It has become clear that recycling copper could play a very significant role when it comes to helping to fill this gap, especially when it is taken into account just how much copper is being held onto, or even thrown away by UK households.

So far, research suggests that an estimated 1.3 billion unused or binned electricals might have the answer for the nation’s fast approaching gap when it comes to the supply of copper for meeting growing demand. On top of this, there are 823m unused, or broken tech items simply dotted around UK homes. Within these cables and various other electrical items, as well as those that have been thrown away, there is around £266m worth of copper. This amount would be enough to provide 30% of the copper that is required within the idea of ‘our green future.’ Finally, research conducted by the Critical Mineral Association, has shown that cables contain a minimum of 20% of copper, this suggests throughout most UK households, it would be possible to extract 3,251 tonnes of copper in cables.

This research truly highlights just how important it is to recycle metal, especially copper appropriately, as the demand for materials continues to rise.