Metal Recycling Market Trends

  • Report ID: 3339
  • Published Date: Sep 08, 2025
  • Report Format: PDF, PPT

Metal Recycling Market Growth Drivers and Challenges:

Growth Drivers

  • Increase in Urbanization and Industrialization to Boost Market Growth- The market is anticipated to expand as a result of the increase in construction activities occurring in several areas, including Asia-Pacific and Europe. The market for metal recycling is growing in demand due to the rapid economic growth brought about by increased industrialization and urbanisation. Consequently, increased government and consumer spending on housing and infrastructure as a result of growing urbanisation boosts market growth. Furthermore, recycling metals boosts employment in the sector and the national economy. For example, an industry in the US that brings in USD 236 billion a year employs more than a million people.
  • Favourable Government Initiatives- Global government programmes that promote and encourage metal recycling have a big effect on the market as a whole. For instance, by establishing challenging goals and encouraging sustainable production and consumption methods, the circular economy package of the European Union seeks to enhance the recycling and reuse of commodities, including metal. All things considered, government initiatives for recycling metal are vital for encouraging environmentally friendly production and consumption methods, cutting waste and its negative effects on the environment, and propelling the world market for recycled metal.
  • Aggregating Demand from Many End-Use Sectors to Increase the Market for Metal- The global metal recycling market is expanding as a result of end-use industries including manufacturing, construction, and automotive using metal more and more. Because metal is just as good as virgin metal in terms of quality, cost, and environmental impact. The end-use industries are switching from employing virgin metal to recycled metal because of the previously cited reasons. One of the biggest steel companies in the world uses metal in its manufacturing process and has promised to employ 50% more recycled material by 2030.

Challenges

  • Issue of Safety- The problem of safety is one of the main obstacles in commercial metal recycling. Managing substantial quantities of metal may be exceedingly hazardous, therefore it's critical for businesses to implement appropriate safety measures to safeguard both their employees and the environment. Strict safety protocols, such as frequent training and safety audits, are also in place to ensure that staff members are adequately prepared to manage the hazards inherent in this line of work.
  • It is projected that an unorganised flow of waste metals and a dearth of collection zones will impede market expansion.
  • The main obstacle to market expansion is a rise in import duties on steel.

Base Year

2025

Forecast Period

2026-2035

CAGR

6.1%

Base Year Market Size (2025)

USD 629.28 billion

Forecast Year Market Size (2035)

USD 1.14 trillion

Regional Scope

  • North America (U.S. and Canada)
  • Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Rest of Asia Pacific)
  • Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, NORDIC, Rest of Europe)
  • Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Rest of Latin America)
  • Middle East and Africa (Israel, GCC North Africa, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Browse key industry insights with market data tables & charts from the report:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In the year 2026, the industry size of metal recycling is assessed at USD 663.83 billion.

The global metal recycling market size was valued at over USD 629.28 billion in 2025 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of around 6.1%, surpassing USD 1.14 trillion revenue by 2035.

Asia Pacific metal recycling market will dominate over 32% share by 2035, driven by high steel and aluminum production and government emphasis on waste management.

Key players in the market include ArcelorMittal S.A., Norsk Hydro ASA, Kimmel Iron & Metal Co., Inc., Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., OmniSource Corporation, Nucor Corporation, Aurubis AG.
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