What it is
Copper is the workhorse metal of electrification — wiring, motors, transformers, EV drivetrains, and renewable generation all run on it.
Why it matters
Every wind turbine, EV, and data centre raises copper demand. Mined supply is struggling to keep pace; secondary copper already covers ~30% of demand.
Circular challenges
Whether copper re-enters the economy at end-of-life is mostly settled at the design stage. These are the recurring blockers.
Wiring inside walls
Most copper sits in long-lived infrastructure — buildings, grids, motors — that releases scrap on a 30–50-year cycle. Demand is rising faster than that cycle delivers.
Quality of scrap
Mixed brass, bronze, and insulated wiring need granulation and refining to reach electrical-grade purity.
Motor recovery
Recovering copper windings from EV motors and white goods needs design-for-disassembly; today most goes through shredders.