BT to profit billions from recycling old copper cables as AI demand spikes

BT has partnered with recycler EMR to recover about 200,000 tons of copper from its legacy network over four years, with over 22,000 tons already reclaimed. Copper prices have hit record highs above $14,000 per metric ton due to AI data center demand, potentially yielding BT $2.7–2.8 billion. The company may also sell recovered copper directly on the spot market.

The EMR partnership represents one of the UK's largest cable-recycling operations, with BT's subsidiary Openreach already extracting more than 22,000 metric tons from its legacy infrastructure. Early payments of roughly $134 million for initial batches signal the financial scale of the program, while the full 200,000-ton target could extend well into the 2030s as the fiber upgrade proceeds across residential endpoints.

Copper's surge past $14,000 per metric ton stems largely from AI infrastructure demands. Data centers projected to consume 194 gigawatts by 2035 require extensive power cabling, and copper remains preferred over aluminum for its conductivity, durability, and thermal stability. This dynamic turns BT's network modernization into a substantial revenue opportunity rather than merely a cost center.