Non-Ferrous Metal Recycling Market Report 2025

The non-ferrous metal recycling market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $224.85 billion in 2024 to $236.92 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing environmental awareness, rising demand from construction sector, growing industrialization in emerging economies, expansion of urban mining practices, and increasing metal recovery efficiency.

The non-ferrous metal recycling market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $287.72 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%. This expansion is driven by increasing demand for sustainable raw materials, heightened government support for recycling initiatives, a surge in the use of non-ferrous metals in electric vehicles, broader adoption of circular economy models, and a greater emphasis on reducing carbon footprints. Key trends during the forecast period include improvements in automated sorting technologies, breakthroughs in metal purification techniques, advancements in secondary smelting, ongoing research to boost recycling efficiency, and the introduction of digital tracking systems for recycling operations.

The growing emphasis on sustainable practices is expected to boost the non-ferrous metal recycling market’s growth going forward. Sustainable practices balance economic development, environmental protection, and social well-being to ensure responsible and long-lasting resource use. Increasing demand for such practices stems from tighter government regulations and policies promoting responsible resource management and compliance. Non-ferrous metal recycling supports sustainability by conserving natural resources and cutting down energy consumption, making it vital for eco-friendly manufacturing and waste handling. It also reduces environmental damage by lowering emissions and landfill waste, contributing to a circular economy. For example, a survey by PDI Technologies in April 2024, which included over 1,200 US consumers, revealed that 80% showed interest in buying sustainable products - an increase from 66% in 2022 and 68% in 2023. Consequently, the growing demand for sustainable approaches is fueling the non-ferrous metal recycling market.

Major players in the non-ferrous metal recycling market are driving innovation by developing recycled metal products to boost credibility, comply with regulations, and attract eco-conscious customers. Recycled metal consists of metals recovered from used products, scrap, or industrial waste, then reprocessed for manufacturing reuse. It covers both ferrous metals like steel and iron and non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, copper, and brass. For instance, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a Japanese cement producer, introduced REMINE in January 2024. REMINE is a recycled metal brand that certifies the recycled content in non-ferrous metal products like refined tin and lead. This initiative promotes transparency, traceability, and sustainability by adhering to certified environmental labeling and leveraging advanced recycling technologies.

In September 2024, Germany-based metal recycler Cronimet Holding GmbH acquired MetallPlast Recykling spol. s r.o., a Czech Republic processor and recycler of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals, for an undisclosed sum. Through this acquisition, Cronimet seeks to strengthen its market presence in Central Europe by incorporating MetallPlast Recykling’s expertise, expanding its network of sites and product range, and capitalizing on synergies to improve services and support sustained growth.

Major players in the non-ferrous metal recycling market are Aurubis Aktiengesellschaft, Gerdau North America Corporation, Novelis Inc., Dowa Holdings Co. Ltd., Sims Limited, Chiho Environmental Group Limited, OmniSource Corporation, Alter Trading Corporation, SA Recycling Limited Liability Company, Triple M Metal LP, Harmony Enterprises Inc., MS Enterprises, STEINERT GmbH, Quest Resource Management Group LLC, Jansen Recycling Group B.V., Jain Metal Group, ASM Recycling Inc., Aruhya Enterprises, Stena Metall Aktiebolag, GLE Scrap Metal Inc.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the non-ferrous metal recycling market in 2024. North America is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in non-ferrous metal recycling report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The countries covered in the non-ferrous metal recycling market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The sharp hike in U.S. tariffs and the associated trade disputes in spring 2025 are notably impacting the aerospace and defense sector by raising costs for titanium, carbon fiber composites, and avionics materials largely sourced from global suppliers. Defense contractors, locked into fixed-price government contracts, absorb these added costs, while commercial aerospace firms face airline pushback on higher aircraft prices. Delays in component shipments due to customs bottlenecks further disrupt tight production schedules for jets and satellites. The industry is responding by stockpiling critical materials, seeking waivers for defense-related imports, and collaborating with allied nations to diversify supply chain.

Non-ferrous metal recycling involves the collection, processing, and reuse of metals that do not contain iron. These metals are sorted, cleaned, and melted to be repurposed across various industries. Recycling non-ferrous metals helps conserve natural resources, lowers energy usage, and reduces environmental impact by reusing valuable materials.

The primary methods used in non-ferrous metal recycling include mechanical recycling, pyrometallurgical recycling, hydrometallurgical recycling, and biotechnology-based recycling. Mechanical recycling involves physically breaking down and reprocessing waste materials, such as plastics, into new products without altering their chemical composition. This process is classified by the type of non-ferrous metal, including copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, nickel, graphite, and precious metals, and further segmented by scrap sources like industrial scrap, end-of-life vehicles, construction and demolition debris, consumer electronics, and household appliances. These recycled metals supply various industries, including automotive, building and construction, electrical and electronics, industrial machinery, and others.

The non-ferrous metal recycling market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides non-ferrous metal recycling market statistics, including the non-ferrous metal recycling industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the non-ferrous metal recycling market share, detailed non-ferrous metal recycling market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the non-ferrous metal recycling industry. These non-ferrous metal recycling market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The non-ferrous metal recycling market consists of sales of recycled metal ingots or billets, metal sheets, plates, wires, rods, castings and components. 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 and 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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