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DI-CM-10680 Edition 1 Updated 204 pages, PDF and Excel

Metal Recycling Market

Metal recycling is worth USD 389.78 billion in 2025 and USD 556.73 billion by 2035 as electric arc furnaces and aluminum mills melt more scrap.

By the . Next review Apr 2027. Editorial standards

Market size, 2025
$389.8B
Forecast, 2035
$556.7B
Revenue CAGR, 2026–2035
3.63%
Ferrous scrap share
48.3%

By metal

ferrous scrap, aluminum scrap, copper and brass scrap, stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap, other non-ferrous and precious metals

By scrap source

obsolete scrap, prompt scrap

By end user

EAF steel mills, integrated blast furnace mills, foundries, secondary smelters and refiners

By region

Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa

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17 chapters 36 tables 9 figures 7 company profiles 204 pages

  1. Executive summaryThe market in one view
  2. Scope and definitionsProcessed scrap at the recycler's gate
  3. Research methodologyBottom-up: million tonnes × value per unit
  4. Scrap pricingPrice bands per tonne
  5. Demand driversEAF, aluminum mills, electrification, collection
  6. RestraintsChina, DRI, trade
  7. Trade flowsExporters and importers
  8. RegulationEU Waste Shipment Regulation and tariffs

See all chapters and sections (9 more chapters)

Key findings

  • Douglas Insights sizes metal recycling at USD 389.78 billion in 2025 and USD 556.73 billion in 2035, a 3.63% revenue CAGR.
  • Ferrous scrap is 48.3% of revenue but 88.6% of the 632.55 million tonnes.
  • Aluminum scrap grows fastest at 4.60% a year as recycled-content mills start up.
  • The Middle East and Africa is the fastest region at 5.06% a year.
  • The top three processors hold about 2.9% of 2025 scrap tonnes, so the field stays fragmented.
MeasureValueHow it is built
Market size, 2025 $389.8B 632.55 million tonnes x USD 616.2 per tonne = $389.8B
Forecast, 2035 $556.7B Base case, 2.35% volume and 1.25% price
Revenue CAGR, 2026–2035 3.63%2.35% volume + 1.25% price Tonnes times price
Volume, 2035 797.9 million tonnes 632.55 million tonnes grown at 2.35% a year
Leading segment Ferrous scrap, 48.3% $188.3B in 2025 from 560.7 million tonnes
Fastest segment Aluminum scrap, 4.60% Recycled-content rolling mills and billet casthouses
Fastest region Middle East and Africa, 5.06% Steel demand growth in Egypt and Saudi Arabia
Market leader Steel Dynamics, 1.0% (estimate) Douglas Insights estimate from disclosed OmniSource shipments; top three about 2.9%
Event Toyota Tsusho closes Radius Recycling purchase, 11 July 2025 More than 100 North American sites

Every figure passes the desk's release checks before publication: segments add to the total, growth rates match their start and end values, and each cited source says what the report attributes to it. How the research is done

Market data

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Metal recycling is a USD 389.78 billion business in 2025, heading for USD 556.73 billion by 2035 at a 3.63% revenue CAGR. The Metal Recycling market covers the processed ferrous and non-ferrous scrap that yards, shredders and brokers sell to steel mills, foundries and smelters, valued at the price the recycler realises. Our receipt: 632.55 million tonnes of scrap times an average USD 616.2 per tonne gives USD 389.78 billion. Ownership is moving too: Toyota Tsusho America completed its purchase of Radius Recycling on 11 July 2025, taking over more than 100 North American sites that handled about 4.5 million tons of ferrous scrap in fiscal 2024. The study belongs to our recycling and circular materials coverage and every number follows the Douglas Insights research methodology.

How much does a tonne of heavy melting steel, aluminum or copper scrap pay a metal recycler?

A tonne of ferrous scrap realised about USD 336 in 2025, aluminum scrap about USD 2,240 and copper and brass scrap about USD 8,450, on Douglas Insights price bands. That 25-fold spread between copper and steel scrap decides where metal recycling margins sit, and why yards fight for non-ferrous feed.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) iron and steel scrap summary puts the No. 1 heavy melting steel (HMS) composite at USD 319.00 per tonne for 2025, up from USD 314.85 in 2024 and far below USD 417.66 in 2021. The monthly composite peaked at USD 366.26 in March and fell to USD 303.46 in November. US mills bought scrap worth USD 19.7 billion for 57 million tonnes, or USD 345.6 per tonne once shredded and prepared grades are mixed in. Our global ferrous band of USD 336 sits between those two US readings because Chinese and Indian domestic scrap trades lower.

Non-ferrous prices follow the exchanges. The USGS aluminum summary gives a 2025 US ingot spot price of 180 cents per pound, about USD 3,968 per tonne and 39% above 2024; we set aluminum scrap at roughly 56% of that, or USD 2,240. London Metal Exchange (LME) copper averaged about 440 cents per pound, so copper scrap at USD 8,450 per tonne trades at roughly 87% of cathode value. Douglas Insights models stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap near USD 1,480 per tonne. The blended metal recycling price rises 1.25% a year in our base case, to USD 697.7 per tonne in 2035.

Which scrap metal makes the money in recycling: ferrous tonnes or copper value?

Ferrous scrap makes the most money, 48.3% of 2025 metal recycling revenue or USD 188.26 billion, simply on tonnage: 560.7 million tonnes. Copper and brass scrap earns 28.6 points less share from about 9.1 million tonnes, because each tonne is worth 25 times as much.

Scrap metal segment Share 2025 Value 2025 CAGR 2026-2035 Value 2035
Ferrous scrap 48.3% USD 188.26 billion 3.02% USD 253.50 billion
Aluminum scrap 24.7% USD 96.28 billion 4.60% USD 150.95 billion
Copper and brass scrap 19.7% USD 76.79 billion 4.10% USD 114.76 billion
Stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap 3.3% USD 12.86 billion 3.45% USD 18.06 billion
Other non-ferrous and precious metals 4.0% USD 15.59 billion 2.85% USD 20.65 billion

Douglas Insights counts 560.7 million tonnes of ferrous scrap worth USD 188.26 billion, growing at 3.02% a year to USD 253.50 billion on electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking that runs on shredded and heavy melting grades. Aluminum scrap holds 24.7%, or USD 96.28 billion, because 42.95 million tonnes of old and new scrap now feed remelt, extrusion billet and can sheet. Copper and brass scrap takes 19.7%, or USD 76.79 billion, from wire, cable, plumbing and machining swarf. Stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap is 3.3%, or USD 12.86 billion, sold to melt shops that need nickel and chromium units. Other non-ferrous and precious metals, a group of lead batteries, zinc dross and circuit-board scrap, add 4.0%, or USD 15.59 billion.

Aluminum scrap is the fastest-growing segment at 4.60% a year, because new recycled-content rolling mills and casthouses are being built faster than primary smelters. Readers following the primary side should see the Aluminum Metal Market.

Why are electric arc furnaces and can sheet mills pulling more metal into recycling?

Metal recycling tonnage grows 2.35% a year to 2035, from 632.55 to 797.9 million tonnes, because steel and aluminum producers keep swapping iron ore and bauxite-based metal for scrap charge. Four separate drivers make up the 2.35-point volume leg, led by electric arc furnace capacity.

Electric arc furnace growth adds 1.05 points. Scrap is the main charge. Global recycled steel use reached 480 million tonnes in 2025 across the countries tracked by the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR), up 4.5%, and the BIR facts and figures series puts total recycled steel use at about 630 million tonnes a year. China alone consumed 227 million tonnes, up 8.3% while its crude steel output fell 4.4%, lifting scrap to 23.6% of the Chinese charge. Turkey already runs at 86.8%. At the implied 962 million tonnes of Chinese crude steel, each point of scrap ratio is worth about 9.6 million tonnes, by our arithmetic, so this one driver outweighs the other three combined.

Recycled-content aluminum mills add 0.55 points. Steel Dynamics said in its second-quarter release of 21 July 2025 that its Columbus, Mississippi mill had produced and sold its first aluminum coils, and that it expects to exit 2026 at 75% utilization supplying flat rolled products with high recycled content. The USGS aluminum summary also records a Minnesota recycler adding 55,000 tons a year of billet capacity, and US secondary aluminum recovered from purchased scrap stood at about 3.6 million tons in 2025. Each such mill buys used beverage can (UBC) and process scrap that was previously exported.

Electrification adds 0.45 points. Copper scrap already supplies about 30% of US copper, according to USGS, with 760,000 tons recovered from new scrap and 160,000 tons from old scrap. Electric vehicle (EV) wiring, grid cable and transformer windings are copper and aluminum heavy, and those products return as high-grade scrap once they are retired. Douglas Insights expects copper and brass scrap revenue to reach USD 114.76 billion by 2035 on this pull. For the refined side of the same metal, see the Low Carbon Copper Market.

Collection gains add 0.30 points, the smallest and slowest driver. Automobile recycling in the US is close to 100%, recovering over 13 million tonnes of steel a year, yet steel containers are recycled at 62% and miscellaneous products at 46%, according to the USGS. Lifting those two streams is where new yards, end-of-life vehicle (ELV) dismantlers and e-scrap lines find tonnes. Together the drivers sum to 2.35 points: 1.05 from EAF steel, 0.55 from aluminum mills, 0.45 from electrification and 0.30 from collection.

Which headwinds cut metal recycling volumes at shredders and yards?

Three headwinds remove 1.05 points from metal recycling volume growth in our slower case, cutting the leg from 2.35% to 1.30% and the 2035 value to USD 468.52 billion. Weaker Chinese steel output, direct reduced iron substitution and trade barriers are the brakes on scrap tonnes.

Chinese steel output removes 0.45 points. Scrap use in China rose in 2025 only because the charge mix shifted; crude steel output itself fell 4.4%. If output keeps shrinking, a stable 23.6% scrap ratio yields fewer tonnes every year, and China takes 47.3% of the 480 million tonnes BIR tracks.

Direct reduced iron (DRI) removes 0.35 points. Nucor reports in its 2025 annual report that its Trinidad and Louisiana plants supplied about 3,370,000 metric tons of DRI to its mills, and USGS counts 7.8 million tonnes of DRI consumed across the US. India produced 58.9 million tonnes of DRI in 2025, up 7.4%, which caps imported scrap; Indian imports fell 5% to 8.04 million tonnes. Trade friction removes 0.25 points: US scrap exports dropped 18.4% to 11.77 million tonnes, and Europe is tightening its export rules from 2027. Metal recycling yards that rely on export margins lose a price outlet each time a border tightens.

Which companies run the shredders, and how concentrated is metal recycling?

Metal recycling is fragmented: Douglas Insights estimates the top three processors hold about 2.9% of 2025 scrap tonnes, and no company handles more than 7 million tonnes of 632.55 million. Positions rest on shredder networks, captive steel mills or port access for export.

Company Disclosed scale Douglas Insights share of 2025 scrap tonnes
Steel Dynamics (OmniSource) 1,596,583 gross tons of ferrous shipments in one quarter 1.0%
Sims Limited 6.3 million tonnes of proprietary sales volume 1.0%
Nucor (David J. Joseph) Shredders able to process about 6.8 million tons a year 0.9%
Radius Recycling (Toyota Tsusho) About 4.5 million tons ferrous and 0.3 million tons non-ferrous 0.7%
Commercial Metals Company 42 recycling sites in the US and 12 in Poland 0.5%
Aurubis Multimetal smelter in Augusta, Georgia, about 90,000 tonnes of complex feed 0.1%

Steel Dynamics leads on our count. Its OmniSource arm shipped 1,596,583 gross tons of ferrous scrap in the second quarter of 2025, of which 545,022 tons went to outside buyers, plus 245.6 million pounds of non-ferrous metal, and the quarter set a shipment record. Sims Limited reported fiscal 2025 proprietary sales of 6.3 million tonnes, down 3.8%, across North America Metal, Australia and New Zealand Metal and Sims Lifecycle Services. Nucor buys and processes through David J. Joseph, which runs six regional recycling companies and shredders able to process about 6.8 million tons of ferrous scrap a year; only about 7% of the tons it brokers and processes go to outside customers.

Radius Recycling changed hands on 11 July 2025, when Toyota Tsusho America closed the acquisition; the Portland, Oregon business reported 660,000 end-of-life vehicles and 3.8 million used parts in fiscal 2024 alongside its scrap tonnes. Commercial Metals Company runs 42 scrap recycling facilities in the US and 12 in Poland to feed its own mills. Aurubis designed its Augusta, Georgia plant, the first US secondary smelter for multimetal recycling, for about 90,000 tonnes of complex recycling material and 35,000 tonnes of blister copper a year. Shares in the table are Douglas Insights estimates from disclosed tonnes, not company statements.

Why does ferrous scrap flow from the EU and the US to Turkey, India and Bangladesh?

The EU and the US exported 28.45 million tonnes of ferrous scrap in 2025 while Turkey and India imported 26.81 million, by BIR figures. Mature economies retire more steel than their mills can melt, and blast-furnace-light importers pay for metal recycling tonnes they cannot collect at home.

The EU shipped 16.68 million tonnes, down 2%, with 10.82 million going to Turkey and 1.86 million to Egypt; the Netherlands alone exported 3.92 million. US exports fell to 11.77 million tonnes, and the USGS lists Turkey at 29%, Bangladesh at 13% and India at 10% of US tonnage. Turkey imported 18.77 million tonnes, the world’s largest buyer. EU imports rose 28.8% to 4.99 million tonnes. Pakistan imports rose 39.8% to 3.02 million tonnes. Japan exported 7.7 million tonnes, up 18%.

Where is recycled metal melted, and which region adds scrap tonnes fastest?

Asia Pacific melts the most recycled metal, worth USD 185.53 billion in 2025 or 47.6% of the metal recycling market, because China consumed 227 million tonnes of ferrous scrap. The Middle East and Africa grows fastest, at 5.06% a year, as steel demand grows in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which buy scrap for their mills.

Asia Pacific rises at 3.90% to USD 272.01 billion in 2035, with India adding DRI and scrap together. Europe holds USD 79.51 billion, 20.4% of the total, and grows 2.75% on aluminum remelt and stainless scrap. North America accounts for USD 73.67 billion and reaches USD 100.94 billion at 3.20%, the rate set by new EAF and aluminum rolling capacity. Latin America is USD 23.78 billion and grows 3.88%, fed by Mexican and Brazilian mills; USGS shows Mexico supplying 25% of US scrap imports by tonnage. The Middle East and Africa starts at USD 27.28 billion and reaches USD 44.70 billion; the World Steel Association, as cited by USGS, expects steel demand growth in Egypt and Saudi Arabia to offset declines in China.

Europe is the wildcard. If the 2027 export rules keep 5 to 10 million tonnes of scrap inside the EU, European metal recycling revenue rises faster than our 2.75% base and Turkish buyers pay more elsewhere.

Who buys recycled metal: EAF steel mills, foundries or secondary smelters?

EAF steel mills buy most recycled metal, and USGS says steel mills consumed almost all of the 57 million tonnes of US ferrous scrap in 2025. Foundries take most of the rest, while secondary smelters and refiners buy the non-ferrous metal recycling output.

The end-user split has four buyers: EAF steel mills, integrated blast furnace mills, foundries, and secondary smelters and refiners. Foundry employment in the US was 107,000 in 2025, a sign of steady casting demand for scrap. Secondary smelters and refiners, including brass and wire-rod mills, take about 80% of the copper recovered from scrap in the US. The supply side splits into obsolete scrap from retired products and prompt scrap from factories: US mills drew 89% of recycled scrap from net receipts and 11% from home scrap in 2025. For a parallel waste stream, see the Tyre Pyrolysis Recycling Market.

Which rules on waste shipments and end-of-life vehicles reshape metal recycling?

The EU Waste Shipment Regulation is the rule that matters most for metal recycling in 2026. It entered into force on 20 May 2024 and applies from 21 May 2026, while its export rules start on 21 May 2027, when scrap leaving the EU faces new tests.

The European Commission summary says non-hazardous waste exports to countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will generally be prohibited from 21 May 2027, unless a country shows it can manage the waste soundly. Exports to OECD members such as Turkey stay open but are monitored, and the Commission can suspend them if recovery is not environmentally sound. On the US side, all listed ferrous scrap tariff lines were duty-free under normal trade relations at the end of 2025, according to USGS, which keeps US export routes open to Bangladesh and India.

What if steel output stalls: how far apart are the 2035 metal recycling cases?

Our base case reaches USD 556.73 billion in 2035 on 2.35% volume and 1.25% price growth. The slower case ends at USD 468.52 billion and the faster case at USD 657.30 billion, a gap set mostly by Chinese steel output and EAF scrap ratios.

The slower case runs 1.30% volume and 0.55% price: Chinese output keeps falling, DRI spreads in India and the 2027 EU export rules cut outlets before domestic mills absorb the tonnes. The faster case runs 3.40% volume and 1.90% price, with EAF share rising in China and new aluminum mills filling. One extra point of annual tonnage growth adds USD 56.85 billion to the 2035 figure; one point less removes USD 52.06 billion. Outside forecasts we read sit between 3.70% and 6.85% a year, so our 3.63% is at the low end, because we value scrap at the recycler’s gate and not as refined metal. Ownership deals such as the Radius purchase of 11 July 2025 decide who captures the faster case.

Douglas Exclusive: the Scrap Metal Trade Atlas

The Scrap Metal Trade Atlas is a Douglas Insights model built from 20 sourced inputs and 5 Douglas Insights price assumptions. The atlas maps where ferrous scrap leaves and enters, and what each flow is worth at our USD 336 per tonne band.

Ferrous scrap trade node, 2025 Exports (million tonnes) Imports (million tonnes) Net flow at USD 336 per tonne
EU (exporter) 16.68 4.99 out USD 3.93 billion
United States (exporter) 11.77 4.66 out USD 2.39 billion
Japan (exporter) 7.70 – out USD 2.59 billion
Turkey (importer) – 18.77 in USD 6.31 billion
India (importer) – 8.04 in USD 2.70 billion

The inputs are 10 BIR trade and consumption figures, 8 USGS figures, 1 aluminum recycling total and 1 copper output figure. The atlas finding: the two biggest exporters, the EU and the US, ship 28.45 million tonnes worth about USD 9.56 billion, almost exactly what Turkey and India import, 26.81 million tonnes. Seaborne ferrous scrap is a short chain with four main nodes. A second reading: ferrous scrap is 88.6% of metal recycling tonnes but only 48.3% of value, so a yard that adds one tonne of copper earns what it would from 25 tonnes of shredded steel. The atlas counts trade nodes, not every bilateral route, and none of its tonnages are official registers.

Which receipts and cross-checks hold up the metal recycling tonnage model?

The model counts 632.55 million tonnes in 2025 at USD 616.2 per tonne, which equals USD 389.78 billion. Five metal segments and five regions reconcile to that total, and Douglas Insights puts 2035 volume at 797.9 million tonnes and price at USD 697.7.

Ferrous tonnes are 630 million tonnes of recycled steel use less 11% home scrap, the USGS US ratio, giving 560.7 million. Aluminum is 41.9 million tonnes of 2024 old and new scrap grown 2.5%, giving 42.95 million. Copper is 4.63 million tonnes of secondary refined output, annualised from 1.93 million in five months of 2024, plus 4.47 million tonnes of direct-melt scrap, our estimate. Stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap is 8.6 million tonnes and the other group 11.2 million, both our estimates. Regions sum to USD 389.78 billion in 2025 and USD 556.73 billion in 2035. Segment 2035 values grown at their own rates sum to USD 557.92 billion, within 0.21% of the top-down figure. Cross-check one: our USD 336 ferrous band is 2.6% below the USD 345.6 US purchase average. Cross-check two: published 2025 sizes run from USD 134.16 billion to USD 551.9 billion, and ours sits in the middle.

How this report is built

  • Every figure carries a confidence grade in the fact sheet above, and the working model ships with every licence.
  • Five regional models sum to the global figure, with country tables in the Excel model.
  • The next scheduled review of this study is April 2027.
  • Licence holders receive it as a maintained tab in the Excel model.

Sources

  1. Toyota Tsusho Toyota Tsusho America completes acquisition of Radius Recycling (2025)
  2. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Iron and steel scrap (2026)
  3. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum (2026)
  4. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Copper (2026)
  5. European Commission Waste shipments (2026)
  6. Steel Dynamics / SEC Steel Dynamics second quarter 2025 results (2025)
  7. Sims Limited Sims Limited fiscal 2025 full year results (2025)
  8. Nucor / SEC Nucor 2025 Form 10-K (2026)
  9. CMC / SEC Commercial Metals Company fiscal 2025 Form 10-K (2025)
  10. Bureau of International Recycling World Steel Recycling in Figures (2026)

Inside the 204-page report

17 chapters 151 sections 36 tables, 9 figures 7 company profiles 204 pages Every table ships in the Excel model
01Executive summary12 sections

The market in one view

  1. 1.1Market snapshot, 2025 and 2035
    1. 1.1.1Market size, 2025
    2. 1.1.2Forecast, 2035
    3. 1.1.3Growth rate, 2026–2035
  2. 1.2Growth decomposition
    1. 1.2.1Volume growth (million tonnes)
    2. 1.2.2Value per unit growth
  3. 1.3Key findings
  4. 1.4Segment highlights
  5. 1.5Regional highlights
  6. 1.6Competitive highlights
  7. 1.7Douglas Insights verdict
02Scope and definitions17 sections

Processed scrap at the recycler's gate

  1. 2.1Market definition
  2. 2.2Inclusions and exclusions
    1. 2.2.1Metals
    2. 2.2.2Scrap sources
    3. 2.2.3Exclusions
  3. 2.3Segmentation
    1. 2.3.1By metal
    2. 2.3.2By scrap source
    3. 2.3.3By end user
    4. 2.3.4By region
  4. 2.4Years considered
    1. 2.4.1Base year 2025
    2. 2.4.2Forecast 2026–2035
  5. 2.5Currency and units
    1. 2.5.1Value in USD million
    2. 2.5.2Volume in million tonnes
  6. 2.6Who this report is for
03Research methodology16 sections

Bottom-up: million tonnes × value per unit

  1. 3.1Bottom-up market model
    1. 3.1.1Volume base, 2025 (million tonnes)
    2. 3.1.2Value per unit
    3. 3.1.3Forecast legs to 2035
  2. 3.2Top-down cross-checks
  3. 3.3Data triangulation
  4. 3.4Sources
    1. 3.4.1Regulators and statistics offices
    2. 3.4.2Company filings and results
    3. 3.4.3Trade and industry bodies
    4. 3.4.410 primary sources cited
  5. 3.5Confidence grading
  6. 3.6Assumptions and limitations
    1. 3.6.1Inputs
    2. 3.6.2Reconciliation
    3. 3.6.3Cross-checks
04Scrap pricing3 sections

Price bands per tonne

  1. 4.1HMS composite
  2. 4.2Aluminum
  3. 4.3Copper
05Demand drivers3 sections

EAF, aluminum mills, electrification, collection

  1. 5.1EAF steel
  2. 5.2Can sheet
  3. 5.3Copper
06Restraints3 sections

China, DRI, trade

  1. 6.1Chinese output
  2. 6.2DRI
  3. 6.3Export rules
07Trade flows3 sections

Exporters and importers

  1. 7.1EU
  2. 7.2United States
  3. 7.3Turkey and India
08Regulation3 sections

EU Waste Shipment Regulation and tariffs

  1. 8.12026 application
  2. 8.22027 export rules
  3. 8.3US tariff lines
09Market size and forecast, 2025–20355 sections

Global value, volume and value per unit

  1. 9.1Market value, 2025–2035
  2. 9.2Volume (million tonnes), 2025–2035
  3. 9.3Value per unit, 2025–2035
  4. 9.4Year-on-year growth
  5. 9.5Growth decomposition
10Metal Recycling market, by metal16 sections

5 segments, value 2025–2035

  1. 10.1Overview and share, 2025 and 2035
  2. 10.2Ferrous scrap
    1. 10.2.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 10.2.2Growth outlook
  3. 10.3Aluminum scrap
    1. 10.3.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 10.3.2Growth outlook
  4. 10.4Copper and brass scrap
    1. 10.4.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 10.4.2Growth outlook
  5. 10.5Stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap
    1. 10.5.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 10.5.2Growth outlook
  6. 10.6Other non-ferrous and precious metals
    1. 10.6.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 10.6.2Growth outlook
11Metal Recycling market, by scrap source7 sections

2 segments, value 2025–2035

  1. 11.1Overview and share, 2025 and 2035
  2. 11.2Obsolete scrap
    1. 11.2.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 11.2.2Growth outlook
  3. 11.3Prompt scrap
    1. 11.3.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 11.3.2Growth outlook
12Metal Recycling market, by end user13 sections

4 segments, value 2025–2035

  1. 12.1Overview and share, 2025 and 2035
  2. 12.2EAF steel mills
    1. 12.2.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 12.2.2Growth outlook
  3. 12.3Integrated blast furnace mills
    1. 12.3.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 12.3.2Growth outlook
  4. 12.4Foundries
    1. 12.4.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 12.4.2Growth outlook
  5. 12.5Secondary smelters and refiners
    1. 12.5.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 12.5.2Growth outlook
13Regional analysis26 sections

5 regions

  1. 13.1Regional overview and share, 2025 and 2035
  2. 13.2Asia Pacific
    1. 13.2.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 13.2.2By metal
    3. 13.2.3By scrap source
    4. 13.2.4By end user
  3. 13.3Europe
    1. 13.3.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 13.3.2By metal
    3. 13.3.3By scrap source
    4. 13.3.4By end user
  4. 13.4North America
    1. 13.4.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 13.4.2By metal
    3. 13.4.3By scrap source
    4. 13.4.4By end user
  5. 13.5Latin America
    1. 13.5.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 13.5.2By metal
    3. 13.5.3By scrap source
    4. 13.5.4By end user
  6. 13.6Middle East and Africa
    1. 13.6.1Market size and forecast, 2025–2035
    2. 13.6.2By metal
    3. 13.6.3By scrap source
    4. 13.6.4By end user
14Competitive landscape11 sections

7 companies profiled

  1. 14.1Market concentration
  2. 14.2Market share analysis, 2025
  3. 14.3Strategic moves: acquisitions, launches, contracts
  4. 14.4Company profilesEach profile: overview, products, financials where reported, position in this market, recent developments
    1. 14.4.1Ownership
    2. 14.4.2Steel Dynamics
    3. 14.4.3Sims Limited
    4. 14.4.4Radius Recycling
    5. 14.4.5Nucor
    6. 14.4.6Commercial Metals Company
    7. 14.4.7Aurubis
15Scenarios to 20355 sections

Slower, base, faster

  1. 15.1Slower case
  2. 15.2Base case case
  3. 15.3Faster case
  4. 15.4Sensitivity of the 2035 value
  5. 15.5Published forecasts compared
16Douglas Exclusive: the Scrap Metal Trade Atlas3 sections

Ferrous scrap trade nodes and value

  1. 16.1Exporters
  2. 16.2Importers
  3. 16.3Value per tonne
17Appendix5 sections

Data, sources and licence

  1. 17.1Data tables (Excel model)
  2. 17.2Sources (10)
  3. 17.3Abbreviations
  4. 17.4Change log and next review
  5. 17.5Licence and how to cite
TList of tables36
  1. Table 1Market value, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  2. Table 2Volume, 2025–2035 (million tonnes)
  3. Table 3Value per unit, 2025–2035
  4. Table 4Metal Recycling market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  5. Table 5Ferrous scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  6. Table 6Aluminum scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  7. Table 7Copper and brass scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  8. Table 8Stainless steel and nickel alloy scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  9. Table 9Other non-ferrous and precious metals: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  10. Table 10Metal Recycling market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  11. Table 11Obsolete scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  12. Table 12Prompt scrap: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  13. Table 13Metal Recycling market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  14. Table 14EAF steel mills: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  15. Table 15Integrated blast furnace mills: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  16. Table 16Foundries: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  17. Table 17Secondary smelters and refiners: market size, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  18. Table 18Metal Recycling market by region, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  19. Table 19Asia Pacific: market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  20. Table 20Asia Pacific: market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  21. Table 21Asia Pacific: market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  22. Table 22Europe: market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  23. Table 23Europe: market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  24. Table 24Europe: market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  25. Table 25North America: market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  26. Table 26North America: market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  27. Table 27North America: market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  28. Table 28Latin America: market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  29. Table 29Latin America: market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  30. Table 30Latin America: market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  31. Table 31Middle East and Africa: market by metal, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  32. Table 32Middle East and Africa: market by scrap source, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  33. Table 33Middle East and Africa: market by end user, 2025–2035 (USD million)
  34. Table 34Company market shares, 2025
  35. Table 35Scenario values, 2035
  36. Table 36Sources and confidence grades by figure
FList of figures9
  1. Figure 1Market value, 2025–2035
  2. Figure 2Growth decomposition, 2026–2035
  3. Figure 3Share by metal, 2025 and 2035
  4. Figure 4Share by scrap source, 2025 and 2035
  5. Figure 5Share by end user, 2025 and 2035
  6. Figure 6Share by region, 2025 and 2035
  7. Figure 7Growth by region, 2026–2035
  8. Figure 8Market concentration, 2025
  9. Figure 9Scenario paths to 2035

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Questions buyers ask

What is metal recycling worth today, and what will it be worth in 2035?

USD 389.78 billion in 2025 and USD 556.73 billion in 2035, a 3.63% revenue CAGR, from 632.55 million tonnes of scrap at USD 616.2 per tonne.

Why does copper scrap matter so much when ferrous scrap dominates tonnage?

19.7% of 2025 revenue comes from about 9.1 million tonnes of copper and brass scrap, because a tonne sells for about USD 8,450 against USD 336 for ferrous scrap.

What did US mills pay for heavy melting steel scrap in 2025?

USD 319.00 per tonne on the USGS No. 1 heavy melting composite, peaking at USD 366.26 in March and bottoming at USD 303.46 in November.

Which scrap metal adds revenue quickest?

4.60% a year for aluminum scrap, rising from USD 96.28 billion to USD 150.95 billion, as recycled-content can sheet and billet capacity comes online.

Where is scrap demand rising quickest?

5.06% a year in the Middle East and Africa, from USD 27.28 billion to USD 44.70 billion, as steel demand grows in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

How concentrated is scrap processing among the large recyclers?

2.9% of 2025 scrap tonnes sits with the top three processors, by Douglas Insights estimate: Steel Dynamics, Sims Limited and Nucor's David J. Joseph.

When do the new EU scrap export rules bite?

21 May 2027, when most export rules of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation apply and non-hazardous exports outside the OECD are generally prohibited.

Who bought Radius Recycling?

11 July 2025 is when Toyota Tsusho America completed the purchase, taking over more than 100 sites and about 4.5 million tons of ferrous scrap a year.

Related data Chemical commodity prices by countryProduction cost analysis by countryManufacturing plant cost and setup reports

Research & citation

This report was researched, written and reviewed by the Douglas Insights Research Desk under the Douglas Insights editorial standards. Material errors are logged in the corrections log. No section is sponsored.

Cite this report Douglas Insights Inc (2026). Metal Recycling Market. Report DI-CM-10680, October 2026. https://www.douglasinsights.com/metal-recycling-market/

Data for this market

Chemical commodity prices by countryPrice data. Monthly unit values by country from national customs statistics, verified by the research desk, with a subscriber dashboard for every commodity. Production cost analysis by countryProduction cost. The direct cash cost of making a tonne: raw materials, utilities, packaging and labour priced in six countries, every input with its source and year. PDF and Excel in 48 hours. Manufacturing plant cost and setup reportsPlant Economics. Manufacturing plant project reports: what a plant costs to build, run and return, with capex, unit cost and IRR across six regions and an Excel model.