Precious Metals E-Waste Recovery Market Report 2026

The precious metals e-waste recovery market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $11.13 billion in 2025 to $11.85 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rising e waste generation, increasing demand for precious metals recovery, growing awareness of environmental impacts, expansion in electronics usage, rising emphasis on material recycling.

The precious metals e-waste recovery market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $15.31 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing adoption of structured recycling systems, growing regulatory support for e waste management, rising focus on resource preservation, expansion of electronic waste collection networks, increasing industrial utilization of recovered metals. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of sustainable metal recovery, growing focus on safe electronic scrap processing, rising demand for environment friendly recycling solutions, expanding use of advanced refining and extraction techniques, increasing emphasis on resource conservation and metal reuse.

The rising utilization of consumer electronics and home appliances across the globe is a key driver of growth in the precious metals e-waste recovery market. Precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are widely used in electronic and electrical devices due to their high conductivity, corrosion resistance, malleability, and durability. The growing adoption of consumer electronics and home appliances is being driven by the introduction of technologically advanced devices, rising disposable incomes, and declining prices of electronic products. As a result, the volume of electronic waste containing recoverable precious metals is increasing significantly. For instance, in April 2023, according to data from the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan’s production volume of consumer electronic equipment reached 129.44 billion yen in 2023, representing a 107.9% increase compared with the previous year. Therefore, the rising utilization of consumer electronics and home appliances is driving the growth of the precious metals e-waste recovery market.

Companies operating in the precious metals e-waste recovery market are actively developing innovative solutions to fortify their market positions. In March 2023, TDK Corporation, a Japanese multinational electronics corporation, announced its subsidiary TDK Ventures Inc.'s investment in and co-leading of pH7 Technologies' Series A fundraising round. pH7 Technologies employs a sustainable and ecologically friendly approach that has the potential to revolutionize precious metal extraction from mining and recycling resources. Their patented metal-extraction method utilizes non-toxic chemical and inorganic chemistry, along with electrochemistry, to extract metals and critical minerals from ores, concentrates, and waste products. This novel technology reduces the environmental impact of mining and mineral processing while enabling efficient metal extraction from low-grade resources or challenging substrates that are economically unviable using conventional methods.

In January 2024, Enva, an Ireland-based company specializing in recycling and resource recovery solutions, acquired WEEE Solutions for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is intended to bolster Enva's electronic waste management capabilities. Through this strategic move, Enva aims to broaden its service offerings and solidify its position in the expanding waste recycling industry. WEEE Solutions is a UK-based company focused on recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

Major companies operating in the precious metals e-waste recovery market report are Heraeus Holding, Umicore, Boliden Group, Johnson Matthey, Dowa Holdings, Sims Limited, TES-AMM Pte Ltd, Sabin Metal Corporation, Metallix Recycling, EnviroLeach Technologies Inc., Arch Enterprises Inc., Closed Loop Environmental Alliance Network Inc., Electrocycling GmbH, EMP Recycling UAB, Global Electronics Recycling, Greentec, Electronic Recycling Association, Shift Recycling, Ecycle Solutions, Gannon & Scott, Specialty Metals Smelters & Refiners, United Plastic & Recycling, ALBA Group.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the precious metals e-waste recovery market in 2025. Europe is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the precious metals e-waste recovery market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the precious metals e-waste recovery market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The precious metals e-waste recovery market consists of revenues earned by entities that recover precious metals from electrical or electronic devices. Precious metals such as gold, copper, silver, platinum, and others are used widely in electronic applications in PCBs of mobile phones, motherboards of computers, and connectors, due to their high conductivity, low-ampere current carriage, high sensitivity, and resistance to corrosion. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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