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BT Openreach recovery boosts copper recycling as prices hit records
BT’s Openreach has received 99 million pounds upfront for surplus stripped copper, and it has recovered nearly 10,000 tonnes in the year to March.
BT’s Openreach subsidiary is recovering more copper cabling than expected from the rollout of full-fibre broadband in the UK, with the telecom group positioned to benefit from high recycled-copper prices tied to broader electrification trends. The Guardian Business reports BT expects a windfall of an estimated 2 billion pounds-plus over the next decade from selling off old copper cabling.
Copper has hit its highest-ever closing price of 14,294 dollars per metric tonne, near the record intraday high of 14,500 set earlier this year amid global shortage fears. According to the outlet, copper demand is being supported by AI datacentres, electronics, and growth in renewable energy.
BT has a recycling deal with EMR, the UK’s largest cable granulation company, and has received a 99 million pounds upfront payment for thousands of tonnes of surplus stripped copper. This payment is the second upfront amount BT has received, after 105 million pounds in 2024.
The outlet says BT’s forward sale agreements are understood to cover delivery of about 20,000 tonnes of copper over four-year periods each. It also reports that BT recovered a record nearly 10,000 tonnes in the year to the end of March, almost three times the amount recovered in the prior year, and 22,347 tonnes in total since stripping and selling began in 2023.
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