True, but copper is the 26th commonest element in the Earth's crust at between 50 and 100 parts per million with an annual production of nearly 20 million tonne

True, but copper is the 26th commonest element in the Earth's crust at between 50 and 100 parts per million with an annual production of nearly 20 million tonne. So it seems unlikely that will will run short of it soon, and if we do then we can simply reuse what we have used on door handles, etc. It's recycled so much partly because it is easy and cheap to do and because copper that is contaminated making it unusable for electrical wire is still useful for other purposes such as plumbing.