ISRI Scrap Codes - Quick Reference
Common ISRI scrap metal codes and nicknames for copper, aluminum, brass and ferrous grades - the shorthand used on the scale every day.
This is a convenience summary of common trading terms. The authoritative source is the current ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular - defer to it for contracts and grading disputes.
Copper
| Code / Nickname | Description |
|---|---|
| Barley | #1 bare bright copper wire - clean, unalloyed, 16 gauge and heavier |
| Berry / Candy | #1 copper - clean unalloyed solids and wire, minimal oxidation |
| Birch / Cliff | #2 copper - unalloyed, may be soldered/oxidized/dirty |
| Cobra / Clove | Insulated copper wire scrap (recovery varies by gauge) |
| Druid | Light copper / #3 - sheet, gutters, irony copper |
Brass / Bronze
| Code / Nickname | Description |
|---|---|
| Honey | Yellow brass solids - clean, free of other metals |
| Ebony | Composition / red brass turnings |
| Lake | Refinery brass |
| Night / Noble | Brass shell cases (fired / unfired) |
| Pallu | Bronze solids |
Aluminum
| Code / Nickname | Description |
|---|---|
| Taldon / Tablet | New clean aluminum sheet / clippings |
| Taint / Tabor | Painted or coated aluminum siding |
| Tense | Aluminum copper radiators |
| Talk | Aluminum extrusions (clean 6xxx) |
| Zorba | Shredded mixed non-ferrous (auto/shredder) - predominantly aluminum |
| Twitch | Float aluminum from shredder, sink-float separated |
Ferrous
| Code / Nickname | Description |
|---|---|
| HMS 1 | Heavy Melting Steel #1 - clean, ≥1/4" thick, sized |
| HMS 2 | Heavy Melting Steel #2 - may include galvanized/dirtier steel |
| Shred / Shredded | Fragmentized steel scrap from a shredder |
| Busheling (#1) | Clean new factory steel sheet clippings |
| P&S | Plate & Structural - beams, plate, ≥5" cross-section |
| Turnings | Steel machining turnings / borings |
Mixed / Auto
| Code / Nickname | Description |
|---|---|
| Zebra | Mixed shredder non-ferrous |
| Zurik | Stainless-rich shredded non-ferrous (eddy-current separated) |
| Twang | Mixed low copper aluminum clips |
Price every ISRI grade automatically
Scraplytics classifies materials by ISRI code on every scale ticket and applies grade-specific pricing and inventory tracking.
ISRI codes - questions
What are ISRI scrap codes?
ISRI scrap codes are standardized nicknames and specifications published by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) in the Scrap Specifications Circular. They give buyers and sellers a common shorthand for grade and quality (for example "Barley" for #1 bare bright copper).
Is this the official ISRI specification?
No. This is a quick-reference summary of widely used trading terms for convenience. The authoritative definitions are in the current ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular - always defer to it for contracts and grading disputes.
How does Scraplytics use ISRI codes?
Scraplytics lets you classify materials by ISRI code on every scale ticket, apply grade-specific pricing automatically, and track inventory and contamination by ISRI grade across the yard.