Burning insulated wire in the USA is illegal under the federal Clean Air Act. That’s it folks. Look no further.
(It’s also illegal in Canada.)
Burning wire releases carcinogens/toxins into the air and into the ground around the burn site, including “dioxins, furans, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter, heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, selenium and cadmium) and other pollutants.” For not following code, you can pay a fine of up to $25,000 per day and/or up to 5 years in jail. Also, if you find and report somebody for breaking the federal clean air act, you are eligible for a $10,000 reward!
For the record, just so my position is clear, the money you make by burning copper wire is not worth the risk of burning it!
Say for example that #1 copper scrap is worth 2.60 per pound, scrap insulated wire is worth $1.20 per pound, and burned wire is worth $2.20 per pound… For a pile of wire that weighs under 100 lbs, there is NO reason to burn it.
If you burned 100lbs of insulated copper wire copper wire, and you end up with less 
than 60 pounds of burned copper, then that means you have broken even…(When you burn copper wire, it loses about half its weight, depending on the type of wire.) see:
Before burning: 100 pounds @ 1.25 per pound = $125
After burning: 60 pounds @ $2.20 per pound= $132
Gain: +$7
(minus time and money for burning)
On the other hand, if you were to strip the same wire, you would make at least $31!
Whether it’s copper or aluminum wire, insulated wire is not to be burned, even if a scrap yard offers to buy it that way. They know it is illegal and costly, and that is why they are not burning it themselves. If that doesn’t convince you, do it for your health: the last thing anyone wants to be handling is a hot tangle of carcinogenic wire.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for the advice. I honestly do not think I want to collaborate by destroying the environment but the contrary.
Thanks again for the article.Really thank you! Much obliged.
Also when and if someone burned a harness type wire they could loose more copper if under improper temperatures, and length on said fire,
Btw it is illegal to burn in nebr and can incur a 10k$ fine
40lbs lost burning what started as 100lbs….. No Way! I dont know what type wire your getting or why it have 40lba insulation on it? Be better said that instead of burning insulation strip it sell it as scrap also! Or check your scales…. 40lbs lost!!? Way over inflated boast.
Most insulated copper wire, for example double insulated extension cords, are over 50% insulation by weight.
I have burned copper wire twice, and the second time a friend down the road alerted me it was illegal so we used Google to look into it and came across this. Honestly, I don’t think burning it was worth it even if it was legal unless like you said, had 100′s of lbs or something. However, this does bring up a question. If it’s illegal to burn insulated wire in general, how is it recycled after we take it to a scrap yard? Doesn’t somebody have to burn it down eventually?
The scrap copper wire will get granulated, or it gets burned in an industrial grade furnace that filters the toxins.
I would like any good ideas on stripping copper wire if there is such a thing.
About the article a few paragraghs up about new laws tey they are comming,I recently went to california specifically for a scrapp metal job it took about three weeks in that time i had to go to the police department for a scrap or recyclers licence it cost ten dollars good for a year ,great for daily pay then i had to go to a seperate agency a independant contractor to pick up forms for individuals to fill out for non ferrous materials specifically copper also forms for E-waste,then forms for taxes i think over five hundred dollars per job i did bid on a job a large Ranch clean up job motorhomes ,mobiles,trailers,you name it but in reality it was not worth it no shape form or way i no longer take jobs in california nor will i when it spreads ,its already tough enough and dangerous to your freedom,load a refer by some chance you overlook a small hole in the freon line(thats why they threw it out)scrap yard notices it or get pulled over by the scrap police your fined ,or catalyst comes out all over the place when you throw it in your truck or cleaned prior your fined on and on ….so yes it is getting tougher,and sooner then we all think there will be a big corp coming in that can and will be able to get around all that and we are no more as scrappers ….
TROY, YOU’RE COMMENT READS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN BY A GUY ON BATH SALTS