Scrap Metal Recycling Market Report 2026

The scrap metal recycling market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $361.36 billion in 2025 to $382.66 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to industrialization and urban development, availability of industrial and post-consumer scrap, cost benefits of recycled metals, growth of automotive and construction industries, increasing awareness of metal reuse.

The scrap metal recycling market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $475.34 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to stringent environmental regulations on mining, rising demand for aluminum and copper, growth in renewable energy infrastructure, increasing investments in recycling facilities, volatility in virgin metal prices. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of automated sorting systems, expansion of advanced shredding and baling technologies, growth in high-value non-ferrous metal recycling, enhanced ferrous metal recovery techniques, integration of traceability and compliance solutions.

The rising demand for infrastructure development is expected to drive the scrap metal recycling market's expansion in the future. Infrastructure development involves constructing and enhancing essential facilities and systems such as transport, utilities, and communications to foster economic progress and elevate living standards. As urban populations increase, the demand for residential areas, roads, energy systems, and other essential services grows accordingly. Scrap metal recycling contributes to these developments by offering an environmentally friendly and economical alternative to new metal materials. This supports reduced reliance on mining, cuts production expenses, and aligns with circular economy models vital for projects like highways, bridges, trains, and city infrastructure. For instance, in July 2023, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 240,813 dwellings were under construction in the March quarter of 2023, a rise from 240,065 in 2022. Among them, new houses numbered 103,778, compared to 101,240 in 2022. Hence, increasing infrastructure development is propelling the growth of the scrap metal recycling market.

Companies active in the scrap metal recycling market are concentrating on launching new screening machines to optimize metal sorting processes, boost recovery rates, and minimize processing costs and time. These machines use mechanical means to differentiate materials by size using various screen sizes or mesh surfaces. In the context of scrap metal recycling, these machines are effective in separating metal pieces from other debris, which enhances metal purity and accelerates the entire recycling workflow. For example, in October 2024, MDS International Ltd., an Irish manufacturing firm, introduced the SCRAPMASTER 400 - a mobile screening solution built specifically for the scrap metal recycling industry. The machine includes high-durability parts like a wear-resistant push feeder, a solid drum frame with screen size options between 25 mm and 150 mm, and an apron-style conveyor for oversized items. It also features a robust fines belt and an auto-reverse drum mechanism to prevent clogging and ensure smooth operations. This development addresses reliability concerns in conventional equipment and significantly improves efficiency in sorting and recovery processes.

In August 2023, Sims Limited, an Australia-based company providing metal recycling services such as purchasing, processing, and selling recycled ferrous and non-ferrous metals worldwide, acquired Baltimore Scrap Corp for $177 million, along with working capital and other adjustments. Through this acquisition, Sims Metal sought to strengthen its footprint in the North American metal recycling market by incorporating strategically positioned facilities and logistics infrastructure to meet rising domestic demand and expand its sales channels. Baltimore Scrap Corp is a US-based metal recycling operator with 17 facilities across five states, offering shredding services and extensive rail, barge, and port infrastructure for the processing and distribution of scrap metal.

Major companies operating in the scrap metal recycling market report are ArcelorMittal S.A., Nucor Corporation, Tata Steel Limited, Gerdau S.A., Commercial Metals Company, Dowa Holdings Co. Ltd., Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., Radius Recycling Inc., AIM Recycling Limited, SA Recycling LLC, European Metal Recycling Limited, Kuusakoski Group Oy, Sims Metal Management Limited, Upstate Shredding - Weitsman Recycling LLC, Ferrous Processing & Trading Co. Inc., Nicrometal S.A., Hindalco Industries Limited, Metallon Recycling Pte Ltd., TKC Metal Recycling Inc., Harsco Corporation.

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

The scrap metal recycling market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as collection and transportation, sorting and classification, processing and shredding, refining and purification, resale and distribution, and consultation on environmental compliance. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The scrap metal recycling market also includes sales of recycled steel, recycled iron, recycled aluminum, recycled copper, recycled brass, recycled zinc, recycled lead, and recycled nickel. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

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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