The Global Spent Catalyst Recycling Market was valued at USD 4.87 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 6.52 Billion by 2030, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.1% during the forecast period (2024–2030). This robust growth is underpinned by stringent environmental regulations, the rising cost of virgin precious and base metals, and a global push towards establishing a circular economy within the chemical, petrochemical, and refining industries.

As industries worldwide intensify their sustainability efforts, the focus shifts to the specialized companies transforming hazardous waste into valuable resources. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Spent Catalyst Recycling Industry—a dynamic mix of global metal refiners, chemical giants, and specialized recyclers pioneering the recovery of critical materials.

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🔟 1. Umicore

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Key Offering: Full-service recycling for precious metals (PGMs), base metals, and specialty metals from spent catalysts.

Umicore is a global leader in materials technology and recycling, operating one of the most advanced precious metals recycling facilities in the world. Its business unit specializes in the closed-loop recycling of spent automotive, chemical, and refinery catalysts, recovering platinum, palladium, rhodium, and other valuable elements with high purity.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Pioneering the “Closing the Loop” model for automotive catalysts

• Investment in hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical technologies for higher recovery rates

• Committed to carbon-neutral operations by 2035

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9️⃣ 2. Tanaka Holdings Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Precious metals recycling (Platinum, Palladium, Gold) from industrial catalysts.

Tanaka is a leading Japanese precious metals specialist with a comprehensive recycling division. The company provides tailored recycling solutions for clients in the electronics, automotive, and chemical sectors, ensuring the secure and efficient recovery of high-value metals from spent catalytic converters and chemical catalysts.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Development of proprietary refining processes to minimize environmental impact

• Active participation in global initiatives for sustainable resource management

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8️⃣ 3. Heraeus Group

Headquarters: Hanau, Germany
Key Offering: Recycling services for platinum group metals (PGMs) from various spent catalysts.

Heraeus Precious Metals operates a global network for recycling materials containing precious metals. Their expertise lies in processing complex catalyst formulations from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, delivering refined metals back into the production cycle with a strong emphasis on traceability and quality.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Implementation of a certified management system for sustainable recycling

• Focus on reducing the carbon footprint of the precious metals supply chain

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7️⃣ 4. Johnson Matthey

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Key Offering: End-of-life catalyst recycling for PGMs, primarily from automotive and process industries.

Johnson Matthey, a global leader in sustainable technologies, offers a complete catalyst lifecycle management service. This includes the collection and refining of spent catalysts from customers, ensuring the maximum recovery of precious metals and providing a secure, environmentally sound alternative to disposal.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Integrated approach combining catalyst manufacturing with recycling services

• Targets for reducing waste and increasing the use of recycled materials in new products

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6️⃣ 5. Dowa Holdings Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Recycling of non-ferrous metals, including those recovered from spent catalysts.

Dowa Eco-System, a subsidiary of Dowa Holdings, is a key player in metal recycling in Asia. The company possesses advanced smelting and refining technologies to recover a wide range of metals from industrial waste, including catalysts containing copper, nickel, and other valuable materials.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Development of eco-friendly metal recycling processes

• Focus on creating a resource-circulating society through its business activities

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5️⃣ 6. BASF Catalysts (Now part of BASF SE)

Headquarters: Ludwigshafen, Germany
Key Offering: Recycling services for spent chemical catalysts, particularly those containing precious metals.

BASF’s Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions unit offers a global recycling service for spent catalysts. Leveraging its deep expertise in catalyst chemistry, BASF efficiently recovers precious metals like platinum and palladium, providing clients with a sustainable and economically viable end-of-life solution.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Part of BASF’s broader commitment to circular economy principles

• Investment in R&D to improve recycling yields and process efficiency

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4️⃣ 7. Ecotrade Group

Headquarters: Castel Bolognese, Italy
Key Offering: Specialized recycling of spent automotive catalytic converters.

Ecotrade Group is a prominent independent recycler focused exclusively on end-of-life catalytic converters. The company has built a robust international network for collecting and processing autocatalysts, using advanced sampling and assaying techniques to ensure fair and accurate recovery of PGMs for its clients.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Promoting the ethical and transparent recycling of automotive emissions catalysts

• Implementing strict environmental controls at its processing facilities

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3️⃣ 8. Shell Catalysts & Technologies

Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands
Key Offering: Spent catalyst management and metals reclamation for refinery catalysts.

As a major supplier of catalysts to the global refining industry, Shell Catalysts & Technologies provides comprehensive catalyst management services. This includes the recycling of spent hydroprocessing and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, recovering metals like nickel, vanadium, and molybdenum for reuse.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Integrating recycling into its catalyst supply agreements to reduce waste

• Developing solutions to minimize the environmental footprint of refinery operations

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2️⃣ 9. Sino-Platinum Metals Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Kunming, Yunnan, China
Key Offering: Recycling and refining of platinum group metals from industrial sources.

Sino-Platinum Metals is a leading Chinese enterprise specializing in the production and recycling of PGMs. The company plays a critical role in the regional market, providing recycling services for spent catalysts from the growing automotive and chemical sectors in Asia, thus bolstering regional supply security for these critical materials.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Focus on securing a sustainable domestic supply of strategic metals for China

• Investment in advanced refining capacity to meet stringent environmental standards

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1️⃣ 10. Asahi Holdings, Inc.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Comprehensive recycling services for precious metals and urban mine resources.

Asahi Holdings, through its subsidiary Asahi Pretec Corp., is a major recycler in Japan. The company processes a wide array of materials, including spent catalysts from electronics and automotive industries, recovering gold, silver, and PGMs through sophisticated smelting and refining operations.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Pioneering the concept of the “Urban Mine” to extract value from end-of-life products

• Commitment to achieving a zero-emission society through resource recycling

Get Full Report Here: Global Spent Catalyst Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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🌍 Outlook: The Future of Spent Catalyst Recycling Is Digitized and Circular

The spent catalyst recycling market is experiencing a paradigm shift. Driven by resource scarcity and environmental imperatives, the industry is moving beyond simple metal recovery towards a fully integrated, digitized circular economy model.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

• Adoption of Advanced Hydrometallurgical Processes for higher purity and lower energy consumption

• Increasing Regulatory Pressure mandating responsible disposal and recycling of industrial waste

• Integration of Blockchain and IoT for enhanced traceability and transparency in the recycling chain

• Strategic Partnerships between catalyst manufacturers, users, and recyclers to create closed-loop systems

The companies listed above are not only recovering valuable resources—they are building the foundational infrastructure for a sustainable industrial future.

Get Full Report Here: Global Spent Catalyst Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report