Impact analysis of copper price on copper scrap recovery

Abstract

Recently, copper price reached the highest level ever. It is expected that the rise of copper price becomes a strong incentive for recovering copper scrap from end-of-life products. Therefore, in this paper, we aimed to analyze the relation between copper price and the amount of recovered copper scrap in Japan. A dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) of copper was conducted to estimate the amount of copper discarded in the end-of-life products during 1980-2008 in Japan. It was found that the recovery rates of copper scrap have risen with the increase in copper price, especially after 2003. A multiple linear regression model was adopted to explain the amount of recovered copper scrap during these three decades, in which copper price, the amount of copper discarded in the end-of-life products, etc. played important roles. © 2011 The Japan Institute of Metals.