ISRI Copper Scrap Grades: Millberry, Berry, Birch and What Separates Them
Millberry, Berry, Birch, Candy. The ISRI names are precise, and the gap between two adjacent grades is worth real money per tonne.
· 5 min read
Where the names come from
The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries publishes standard specifications for recyclable materials, and its copper grades are known by codewords rather than descriptions — Millberry, Berry, Birch, Candy, Cliff. The names are arbitrary, but the specifications behind them are exact, and they are the common language in which international scrap contracts are written.
Using the codeword without meeting the specification is the most frequent source of dispute in scrap transactions, because the grade determines the price and the difference between adjacent grades is substantial.
The grades that matter for export
Four grades cover most of what moves in international copper scrap trade:
- Millberry (No. 1 bare bright)
- Bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire, minimum 16 gauge, clean and free of insulation, 99.9% Cu
- Berry (No. 1 copper wire)
- Clean untinned uncoated copper wire and cable, free of burnt brittle wire
- Birch (No. 2 copper wire)
- Miscellaneous unalloyed copper wire with some coating and oxidation, minimum 96% Cu
- Candy (No. 1 heavy copper)
- Clean unalloyed copper clippings, punchings and solids, free of burnt wire and hair wire
What disqualifies Millberry
Millberry is the premium grade and the most tightly defined, which means the ways a lot fails it are specific. Insulation residue, tinned or coated wire, alloyed material, wire below 16 gauge, burnt or brittle wire from insulation burning, and excessive oxidation all take a lot out of the grade.
A load offered as Millberry that contains burnt wire is Berry at best and often Birch. Since the price difference between bare bright and No. 2 wire is meaningful per tonne, this is where inspection pays for itself.
How grade disputes are settled
Grade is established by physical inspection and, where necessary, by sampling and analysis. Contracts should state who inspects, at what point, and what happens if the material does not meet the contracted grade — rejection, downgrade with a price adjustment, or an umpire assay.
- Inspection at the point of loading rather than on arrival, so a dispute does not become a shipping problem.
- Photographic and video evidence of the material as loaded, dated and referenced to the container.
- A stated tolerance for off-grade content, expressed as a percentage.
- An agreed downgrade mechanism, so a marginal lot does not stall the transaction.
- Certified weight at loading, independently witnessed.
Practical points for African-origin scrap
Scrap sourced across East and Central Africa is frequently aggregated from many small collectors before it reaches an exporter, which means grade consistency within a single container is the main practical risk rather than outright misdescription. A lot can be genuinely Millberry at the top and Birch underneath.
The answer is inspection during stuffing rather than after, and a contract that prices by verified grade rather than by declared grade.
Questions Buyers Ask
What is Millberry copper?
The ISRI codeword for No. 1 bare bright copper wire scrap: bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire of minimum 16 gauge, free of insulation, tin, burnt wire and excessive oxidation, at around 99.9% copper.
What is the difference between Berry and Birch copper?
Berry is No. 1 copper wire — clean, untinned, uncoated, free of burnt brittle wire. Birch is No. 2, permitting miscellaneous unalloyed wire with some coating and oxidation at a minimum of around 96% copper. The price difference reflects the additional processing Birch requires.
How is copper scrap grade verified before shipment?
By physical inspection at the point of loading, supported by dated photographic evidence, certified weighing, and sampling where the contract requires it. Inspecting during container stuffing rather than on arrival keeps a grade dispute from becoming a freight problem.
