How do you calculate package scrap recovery value?

Multiply scrapped packages by the recoverable value per package and by the recovery percentage, then add the processing fee to get total cost recognized. For 12,000 packages at $0.95, 40% recovery and a $1,500 fee, the total is $6,060.

What is the recovered value per scrapped package?

Dividing the total by the number of scrapped packages gives $0.505 per package in this example, which is what each scrapped unit is worth once recovery and processing are accounted for.

Why does the processing fee matter so much?

The $1,500 fee is fixed, so on low scrap volumes or low-value packages it can consume most or all of the recovery credit. The variable recovered value here is $4,560, meaning the fee is a meaningful third of the total.

Is reclaiming scrap always worth it?

No. If the recoverable value at your actual recovery percentage does not clear the processing and logistics fee, plastic-heavy or low-metal packages are cheaper to dispose of than to reclaim. Run the number before shipping scrap to a vendor.

What drives recoverable value per package?

Precious and base metal content, mainly gold bond wires, copper leadframes and pillars, and reusable substrates, plus current metal spot prices. Fine-pitch and gold-wire packages recover more than copper-wire plastic packages.

Scrap value vs scrap cost: how do they interact?

Scrap cost is the manufacturing value you lost; scrap value is the fraction you claw back through reclaim. Net scrap loss is cost minus this recovered value, so a $0.505-per-unit recovery directly reduces the loss booked per scrapped package.

Semiconductor Advanced Packaging & Test calculator

Package Scrap Value Calculator

Package scrap value estimates how much money a test and assembly floor can actually recover from scrapped packages rather than treating them as pure loss. Advanced packages carry recoverable content, from gold and copper in leadframes and bond wires to reusable substrates, but only a fraction is genuinely recovered after the processing fee. Yield and cost engineers use this to offset scrap against the manufacturing loss, decide whether reclaim is worth the logistics, and negotiate with metal recovery vendors. It converts a bin of failed units into a defensible recovery credit that shows up on the cost report.

What this calculator does

Estimates the salvage value reclaimable from scrapped advanced semiconductor packages.
Use it to value precious-metal and substrate recovery from a packaging scrap stream.
It computes the total net value recovered from scrapped packages and the recovered value per scrapped unit, after applying recovery yield and subtracting the processing fee.

Formula used

Total = scrapped packages x recoverable value x recovery% + processing fee
Recovered value per scrapped package = Total / scrapped packages

Inputs explained

Scrapped packages:
Recoverable value per package:
Material actually recovered:
Recovery processing fee:

How to use the result

Use it when deciding whether to send scrap to metal reclaim, offsetting scrap cost in a yield report, or negotiating recovery terms with a vendor.
It applies one recovery percentage to a blended value; actual reclaim varies sharply by package type, and low-content plastic packages may not clear the processing fee at all.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for copper and brass mill shapes stands at 559.593 (BLS, May 2026), up 76.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move. Global copper trades at $13,484 per tonne (IMF via FRED, May 2026).
The producer price index for plastic resins and materials stands at 319.371 (BLS, May 2026), up 19.5% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The producer price index for paperboard and containers stands at 276.831 (BLS, May 2026), up 8.8% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
The U.S. has 11,261 computer and electronic products establishments employing about 815,443 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate package scrap recovery value? Multiply scrapped packages by the recoverable value per package and by the recovery percentage, then add the processing fee to get total cost recognized. For 12,000 packages at $0.95, 40% recovery and a $1,500 fee, the total is $6,060.
What is the recovered value per scrapped package? Dividing the total by the number of scrapped packages gives $0.505 per package in this example, which is what each scrapped unit is worth once recovery and processing are accounted for.
Why does the processing fee matter so much? The $1,500 fee is fixed, so on low scrap volumes or low-value packages it can consume most or all of the recovery credit. The variable recovered value here is $4,560, meaning the fee is a meaningful third of the total.
Is reclaiming scrap always worth it? No. If the recoverable value at your actual recovery percentage does not clear the processing and logistics fee, plastic-heavy or low-metal packages are cheaper to dispose of than to reclaim. Run the number before shipping scrap to a vendor.
What drives recoverable value per package? Precious and base metal content, mainly gold bond wires, copper leadframes and pillars, and reusable substrates, plus current metal spot prices. Fine-pitch and gold-wire packages recover more than copper-wire plastic packages.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.