The Global Zinc Scrap Market is a vital pillar of the circular economy, providing a critical secondary raw material for numerous industries. This market was valued at USD 6.8 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 9.2 Billion by 2028, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.2% during the forecast period (2023-2028). This expansion is fueled by increasing demand for sustainable metal sourcing, rising zinc prices encouraging recycling, and stringent global environmental regulations pushing manufacturers towards recycled content.

As industries from galvanizing to die-casting seek to reduce their carbon footprint and raw material costs, the role of major scrap processors and traders becomes increasingly strategic. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Zinc Scrap Industry—global leaders and specialists who are building efficient supply chains, driving technological innovation in sorting and processing, and powering the sustainable transition of the metals sector.

Download FREE Sample Report:
Zinc Scrap Market – View in Detailed Research Report

---

🔟 1. Sims Metal Management

Headquarters: New York, New York, USA & Sydney, Australia
Key Offering: Global ferrous & non-ferrous metal recycling, including zinc scrap

Sims Metal Management is one of the world’s largest publicly listed metal recyclers, operating across North America, Australasia, and Europe. Its vast network of facilities processes end-of-life vehicles, industrial scrap, and consumer goods, recovering significant volumes of zinc from galvanized steel and other sources. The company’s scale provides a reliable and high-volume supply of processed zinc scrap to smelters and consumers worldwide.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Committed to decarbonizing the metals supply chain through recycling.
• Advanced material recovery facilities (MRFs) for superior metal separation.
• Strategic partnerships with automotive and manufacturing sectors for closed-loop recycling.

---

9️⃣ 2. OmniSource Corporation (a Steel Dynamics, Inc. company)

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

As a key subsidiary of Steel Dynamics, Inc., OmniSource is a major force in North American scrap recycling. It supplies processed scrap, including zinc-bearing materials, directly to its parent company’s steel mills and external customers. Its integrated model ensures a consistent feedstock for zinc recovery, primarily from galvanized steel scrap generated in the automotive and construction industries.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Vertical integration provides supply chain security and traceability.
• Focus on processing industrial bundles and prompt scrap from manufacturing.
• Investments in logistics and shredding technology to enhance recovery rates.

---

8️⃣ 3. European Metal Recycling (EMR)

Headquarters: Manchester, United Kingdom
Key Offering: End-to-end metal recycling services across the UK, Europe, and the US.

European Metal Recycling is a global leader in metal recycling with over 170 sites worldwide. The company handles millions of tonnes of metal annually, with zinc recovered from processes involving shredder residue (zinc flakes) and dismantled products. EMR’s extensive R&D focuses on improving recovery technologies for non-ferrous metals like zinc, making it a critical link in the European circular economy.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Pioneering “Magnetic Density Separation” and other advanced sorting technologies.
• Strong focus on recovering zinc and other metals from shredder waste streams.
• Active participant in EU circular economy policy development and initiatives.

Download FREE Sample Report:
Zinc Scrap Market – View in Detailed Research Report

---

7️⃣ 4. Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.

Headquarters: Portland, Oregon, USA
Key Offering: Recycled ferrous and non-ferrous metals, auto parts, and steel manufacturing.

Schnitzer Steel operates one of North America’s largest metal recycling businesses through its Pick-n-Pull and Cascade divisions. Its shredding operations generate substantial amounts of non-ferrous fractions rich in zinc. The company’s advanced separation systems efficiently recover zinc for sale to zinc smelters and chemical producers, contributing significantly to the domestic secondary zinc supply.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Public sustainability goals targeting increased recycling rates and reduced carbon emissions.
• Continuous investment in non-ferrous recovery technology at its mega-shredders.
• Integrated platform from collection to processed commodity sales.

---

6️⃣ 5. Hanwa Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Osaka, Japan
Key Offering: Global trading of steel, non-ferrous metals, scrap, and energy.

Hanwa is a major Japanese trading house (sogo shosha) with a powerful global metals desk. It plays a crucial role in the zinc scrap market as a key trader and distributor, connecting suppliers in regions like North America and Europe with consumers in Asia, particularly Japan and South Korea. Hanwa’s logistical expertise and market intelligence help balance global supply and demand for zinc scrap.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Facilitates international trade of zinc scrap, ensuring material flow to high-demand regions.
• Strategic investments in recycling ventures and logistics infrastructure worldwide.
• Focus on securing sustainable raw materials for Japan’s industrial base.

---

5️⃣ 6. Commercial Metals Company (CMC)

Headquarters: Irving, Texas, USA
Key Offering: Steel manufacturing, metal recycling, and related solutions.

Commercial Metals Company is a vertically integrated steelmaker and recycler. Its recycling division processes ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, including zinc-coated materials. The zinc recovered is sold into the merchant market. CMC’s network of recycling facilities across the US and Europe positions it as a key consolidator of zinc-bearing scrap from construction, demolition, and industrial activities.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Uses recycled scrap as primary raw material for its electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mills.
• Emphasis on “green” steel production, inherently promoting zinc recycling.
• Expanding its recycling footprint through strategic acquisitions.

---

4️⃣ 7. Chiho Environmental Group Ltd.

Headquarters: Hong Kong
Key Offering: Recycling of non-ferrous metals, including zinc, from end-of-life products.

Chiho Environmental Group is a leading player in Asia’s metal recycling landscape, specializing in the recovery of non-ferrous metals from complex waste streams like discarded electronics (e-waste) and automobiles. The company operates advanced recycling facilities that efficiently liberate and recover zinc alloys and zinc components, feeding the growing demand in Asia’s manufacturing hub.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Specializes in high-value recovery from “urban mines” like e-waste.
• Strategic presence in China and Southeast Asia, key regions for zinc consumption.
• Adopts environmentally sound technologies for metal reclamation.

---

3️⃣ 8. Nucor Corporation

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Key Offering: Steel and steel products, with a large internal scrap recycling operation.

While primarily a steel producer, Nucor is also one of North America’s largest recyclers, consuming millions of tons of scrap metal annually. Its David J. Joseph Company (DJJ) subsidiary is a premier scrap processor and broker. Through DJJ, Nucor manages a vast flow of zinc-bearing galvanized scrap, with recovered zinc entering the merchant market, making it a dominant, though often indirect, force in the zinc scrap supply chain.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Business model is centered on recycling, using scrap as the primary feedstock.
• Extensive logistics network for scrap aggregation and delivery.
• Leadership in promoting the environmental benefits of recycled steel and associated metals.

---

2️⃣ 9. Cohen

Headquarters: New York, New York, USA
Key Offering: Global non-ferrous metal trading, including zinc scrap and concentrates.

Cohen is a premier, privately held international trader of non-ferrous metals, ores, and concentrates. The company has deep expertise in the zinc market, acting as a crucial intermediary for zinc scrap between generators, processors, and end-users like smelters and alloy producers. Cohen’s market knowledge and risk management services provide liquidity and stability to the global zinc scrap trade.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Provides vital market access and financing for scrap processors.
• Expertise in complex international trade logistics and regulations.
• Focuses on building long-term, reliable supply chains for secondary zinc.

---

1️⃣ 10. DOWA Holdings Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Non-ferrous metal smelting, recycling, and advanced materials.

DOWA Holdings is a Japanese integrated non-ferrous metals group with a strong focus on recycling. Unlike traders and processors, DOWA is a key end-user, operating zinc smelters and alloy plants that utilize zinc scrap as a direct raw material. Its Eco-System Recycling model involves collecting end-of-life products, dismantling them, and feeding the recovered metals, including zinc, back into its production processes.

Sustainability & Strategic Initiatives:

• Operates one of Japan’s leading zinc smelters with high scrap intake capability.
• Pioneering “Urban Mine” development to secure metal resources from society.
• Vertical integration from collection to refined metal production.

Get Full Report Here:
Zinc Scrap Market – View in Detailed Research Report

---

🌍 Outlook: The Future of Zinc Scrap is Integrated and High-Tech

The zinc scrap market is evolving from a traditional commodity trade into a sophisticated, technology-driven component of the circular economy. While price arbitrage and basic processing still dominate, the industry’s future hinges on traceability, advanced recovery, and strategic partnerships with primary producers and consuming industries.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

• Technological Advancements: Adoption of AI, robotics, and sensor-based sorting (XRF, LIBS) to improve zinc recovery rates and purity from complex waste streams like shredder residue and e-waste.
• Regulatory Push: Stricter landfill bans, recycling content mandates (e.g., EU Battery Regulation), and carbon footprint regulations are forcing manufacturers to increase their use of secondary zinc.
• Supply Chain Integration: Closer collaboration between scrap processors, traders, and zinc smelters to create closed-loop systems, especially for galvanized steel and Zamak die-casting alloys.
• Geographic Shifts: Asia’s booming manufacturing sector is becoming a larger consumer of zinc scrap, altering traditional trade flows from West to East.

Get Full Report Here:
Zinc Scrap Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies profiled above are not just trading a commodity—they are enabling resource efficiency and building the resilient, low-carbon material foundations for modern industry.