Metal Recycling Market Outlook:
Metal Recycling Market size was valued at USD 629.28 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 1.14 trillion by 2035, expanding at around 6.1% CAGR during the forecast period i.e., between 2026-2035. In the year 2026, the industry size of metal recycling is assessed at USD 663.83 billion.
The market growth is owing to increasing need for metals in various applications and the increasing scarcity of rare earth metals. According to calculations, in the next five years, over 70% of respondents in the automotive sector will see a shortage of metal. Conversely, the chemical and infrastructure sectors will see shortages of roughly 77% and 81%, respectively.
In addition, reprocessing of metal waste has been more popular over the past 20 years due to decreased greenhouse gas emissions and efficient energy management, both of which are significant factors anticipated to propel the market expansion. For instance, the net greenhouse gas emissions from human activities increased by 43% between 1990 and 2020. Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for about three-fourths of all emissions, increased by 51% during that period.
