Scrap metal scramble in Australia

Australia is a country rich in minerals and one of the world’s largest suppliers of copper. But a lot of the metal is now being obtained far from the mines. Australia’s vast and largely unguarded infrastructure is proving a target for metal thieves. This government official says the situation is getting out of hand, and it can affect power, water, and phone lines. Once stolen, the scrap metal finds a large market, says this official. To counter the stolen trade, copper makers are marking copper wire with microdots that can identify a particular piece of copper. But the latest initiative is aimed at stopping the theft at its source, by using a national ad campaign. Copper theft has been cut by 47% in the last 12 months and other countries such as the UK and South Africa are taking an interest in the ad campaign and may start similar campaigns of their own.