The Global Metal Waste and Recycling Market was valued at USD 307,680 Million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 443,411 Million by 2034, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.0% during the forecast period (2025–2034). This robust growth is being driven by the critical role of metal recycling in global decarbonization efforts, the significant energy savings versus primary production, and supportive regulations like the EU’s new waste-shipment rules and battery recycling targets.

As the global economy accelerates its transition toward a circular model, the focus intensifies on the key recyclers and metal producers who are building resilient, sustainable supply chains. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Metal Waste and Recycling Industry—a strategic mix of global scrap processors, integrated steelmakers, and specialized refiners shaping the future of resource recovery.

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🔟 1. Sims Metal Management (Sims Limited)

Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Key Offering: Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap processing, trading, and recycling solutions

Sims Metal Management, a division of Sims Limited, is one of the world’s largest publicly listed metal recyclers. The company operates a vast global network of facilities across North America, the UK, and Australasia, processing millions of tons of scrap annually sourced from industrial, municipal, and commercial streams.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050

• Advanced use of sensor-based sorting technology to improve material purity

• Strategic focus on developing circular solutions for end-of-life vehicles and electronics

Download FREE Sample Report: Metal Waste and Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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9️⃣ 2. European Metal Recycling (EMR)

Headquarters: Manchester, United Kingdom
Key Offering: End-to-end metal recycling, from collection to processed scrap

European Metal Recycling is a leading global metal recycler with a significant presence in the UK, US, and Europe. The company handles a diverse range of materials, including ferrous, non-ferrous, and specialist metals, serving a broad customer base of steel mills, foundries, and smelters worldwide.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Investment in large-scale shredding and fragmentation technologies

• Development of advanced processes for recovering metals from complex waste streams like e-waste

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8️⃣ 3. Commercial Metals Company (CMC)

Headquarters: Irving, Texas, USA
Key Offering: Recycled ferrous scrap, steel products, and fabrication

Commercial Metals Company is a vertically integrated steelmaker and recycler. Its recycling division, which includes dozens of scrap processing facilities, provides the essential raw material feed for its electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills, creating a closed-loop manufacturing system.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Scrap-based steel production significantly reduces carbon footprint

• Continuous investment in upgrading scrap yard efficiency and safety

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7️⃣ 4. Nucor Corporation (via David J. Joseph Company)

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Key Offering: Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, prime and rebar steel products

Nucor, America’s largest steel producer, is a powerhouse in recycling through its David J. Joseph Company (DJJ) subsidiary. DJJ is one of the largest scrap processors and brokers in the US, supplying Nucor’s EAF mills with a reliable stream of recycled ferrous metal, which is fundamental to Nucor’s low-cost, sustainable production model.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Core business model is built on recycling, with EAFs using nearly 100% scrap metal

• Pioneering the use of direct-reduced iron (DRI) in conjunction with scrap to produce higher-grade steels

Download FREE Sample Report: Metal Waste and Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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6️⃣ 5. Aurubis AG

Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
Key Offering: Copper cathode, copper products, and multi-metal recycling

Aurubis is Europe’s largest copper producer and one of the world’s largest recyclers of copper, precious metals, and other non-ferrous metals. The company’s metallurgical expertise allows it to recover metals from complex recycling materials like electronic scrap, industrial residues, and copper scrap.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Over 50% of raw materials input comes from recycling streams

• Leader in developing innovative processes for e-waste recycling and urban mining

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5️⃣ 6. Chiho Environmental Group Ltd.

Headquarters: Hong Kong
Key Offering: Non-ferrous metal scrap recycling and trading

Chiho Environmental Group is a leading global metal recycler with a strong focus on the Asian market. The company operates an extensive network for collecting, processing, and trading a wide range of non-ferrous metal scrap, serving customers across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Expanding processing capacity for end-of-life vehicles and electronic waste

• Implementing stricter environmental management systems across its global operations

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4️⃣ 7. Umicore

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Key Offering: Precious metals refining, battery recycling, catalytic converters

Umicore is a global materials technology and recycling group. Its recycling division is a world leader in the complex recovery of precious and specialty metals from a wide array of waste streams, including spent automotive catalysts, electronic scrap, and industrial residues.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Pioneering closed-loop recycling for cobalt, nickel, and lithium from lithium-ion batteries

• Committed to ambitious sustainability goals under its “2030-RISE” strategy

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3️⃣ 8. OmniSource Corporation

Headquarters: Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
Key Offering: Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap processing and logistics

OmniSource, a subsidiary of Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI), is a major North American metal recycler. It plays a crucial role in SDI’s vertically integrated model by supplying processed ferrous scrap to the company’s EAF steel mills, ensuring a consistent and cost-effective raw material supply.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Integral to SDI’s circular economy model for steel production

• Investment in advanced sorting and processing to meet stringent mill quality specifications

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2️⃣ 9. ArcelorMittal

Headquarters: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Key Offering: Steel products, ferrous scrap consumption, and recycling operations

While primarily the world’s largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal is also one of the largest consumers of ferrous scrap globally. The company utilizes significant volumes of scrap in its EAFs and integrates recycled content into its basic oxygen furnace (BOF) operations, driving demand for high-quality recycled metal.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Targeting a 25% reduction in carbon emissions intensity by 2030, with scrap recycling as a key lever

• Developing smart carbon and innovative DRI technologies that can use more scrap

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1️⃣ 10. Hindalco Industries Ltd. (Novelis)

Headquarters: Mumbai, India
Key Offering: Aluminium products and recycling

Hindalco, through its subsidiary Novelis, is a global leader in aluminium rolling and recycling. Novelis is the world’s largest recycler of aluminium, with a strong focus on recycling used beverage cans (UBCs) and industrial scrap to produce high-quality, low-carbon aluminium sheets.

Sustainability Initiatives:

• Novelis has a target to achieve a 30% recycled content input by 2026

• Pioneering closed-loop recycling programs with major automotive and beverage can customers

Get Full Report Here: Metal Waste and Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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🌍 Outlook: The Future of Metal Recycling Is Digital and Decarbonized

The metal waste and recycling market is undergoing a fundamental transformation. While volume-driven processing still dominates, the industry is rapidly investing in digitalization, advanced sorting technologies, and strategic partnerships to meet the demands of a low-carbon economy.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

• Accelerated investment in AI and sensor-based sorting to improve scrap purity and value

• Regulatory shifts like the EU’s waste shipment rules reshaping global scrap trade flows

• Explosive growth in battery recycling capacity driven by the electric vehicle revolution

• Deepening integration between recyclers and primary metal producers to secure sustainable raw materials

Get Full Report Here: Metal Waste and Recycling Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies listed above are not only processing global metal waste—they’re building the foundation for a circular industrial economy.