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Base Year: 2024
Companies covered: 10
Tables & Figures: 433
Countries covered: 19
Pages: 300
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Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market
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Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market Size
The global copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling market was estimated at USD 42.4 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 119.6 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2025 to 2034. The demand for copper scrap and its alloys is on the rise worldwide, which is attributed to new industrial developments and sustainability efforts. One of the growing demand drivers is the international emphasis placed on the circular economy, with governments supporting the recycling of base metals such as copper.
As reported by the International Copper Study Group (ICSG), the share of recycled copper (copper and copper alloy scrap) was approximately 32% of the global consumption of copper in recent years which indicates the importance of scrap in satisfying the supply needs.
The electrical and electronics industry is a key consumer of recycled copper because it utilizes nearly 60% of the world’s copper (US Geological Survey) and because it is very conductive and easy to recycle. There is growing demand for copper scrap on top of primary copper due to increased infrastructural electrification in emerging markets, the ongoing digital revolution, and advanced-stage economies. Take, for instance, the US Department of Energy, which has recently noted the importance of copper in relation to the power expansion: charging stations for electric vehicles, renewable energy facilities, and other EV infrastructure, all of which are encouraging the recycling of copper.
Another crucial driver is the construction industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, where urbanization and infrastructure progress are accelerating. Plumbing, cladding, roofing as well as wiring make use of copper alloys and recycled copper on a large scale. The European Environment Agency (EEA) comments that around half of the copper used for construction in Europe is sourced from recycled materials, which has economic and environmental advantages.
From the standpoint of the automotive, rail and aerospace industries, there is a shift towards the use of more advanced materials that are light in weight. The growing production of electric vehicles (EVs)—which require approximately 83 kg of copper compared, to about 23 kg for internal combustion engine vehicles, per the International Energy Agency)—is increasing the demand for sustainably sourced copper due to cost and sustainability requirements.
Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market Trends
Rise of clean and smart tech- Including solar power, electric cars, and energy saving devices, heightens the demand for recycled copper as these technologies makes strong use of copper's electrical conductivity. The environmental impacts of mining fresh copper are detrimental, but using recycled copper mitigates these impacts.
Changes in recycling technologies- Innovations in the processes deepen in the recovering of copper scrap, lower the emission rate of impurities, and improve the quality of the end product. Pure copper is required in electronics, energy systems, or high-performance equipment therefore, higher grade copper will be vitally important. The recycling system has been improved due to the introduction of automated sorting methods and closed loop recycling systems. The system has been optimized for efficiency and increased profit in addition to greater control of the recycling process.
Manufacturers eyeing sustainability in production-The increased attention given to sustainability is also causing major sectors, such as construction and manufacturing, to adopt recycled copper alloys as a more sustainable alternative to virgin copper. In construction, green building standards have begun using copper plumbing (moving copper scrap industry further), wiring, and other electrical components as “recycled” which additionally increases the demand for scrap copper.
The changing trends in copper prices are stabilizing, which is prompting some less copper reliant businesses to shift towards copper scrap (predictable and stable pricing) instead of virgin copper, thereby ensuring a dependable price for manufacturers and enhancing the long-term prospects of the scrap and recycling business. These movements suggest that the copper market is shifting towards sustainable and economically favorable business models.
Government regulations and circular economy policies- The U.S. and European regions have been more focused on advanced regulations supportive of circular economics in recent years. The supporting policies targeting increased producer responsibility (EPR), prohibitive landfills, and subsidized recycled content are rapidly boosting recovery of scrap copper and copper alloys. Such policies help improve funding toward recycling infrastructure and motivating manufacturers to use more recycled copper in new products to stay compliant and competitively aligned.
Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market Analysis
In terms of type, the market is segmented into copper scrap and copper alloy scrap. The copper scrap segment crossed USD 27.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 76.6 billion by 2034, as copper scrap is a major source of copper available for recycling in all regions due to its availability, recyclability, and significant value in the varied sectors. Copper is among the world’s most recycled metals and is known for its high conductivity and resistance to corrosion, properties that lend itself to a variety of uses that include electronics, construction and electrical wiring. What makes copper recyclable in an industrial sense is simply the large amount of the material that is actually used in industries ranging from construction to manufacturing to transportation, yielding an abundant supply of scrap that is so easy to collect in an industrial setting.
Copper scrap also benefited in the recycling industry as it can be re-employed without any degradation in its quality, it becomes a more cost-effective option for the manufacturers. This not only cuts down on the need to mine raw copper ore, an energy-intensive and pollution-linked process, but many forms of copper are readily recyclable. The price differential between recycled copper and new copper is another explanation for its pre-eminence.
With respect to end use, the market is segmented as electrical and electronics, building and construction, transportation, industrial machinery and equipment, consumer products, and others. The electrical & electronics segment dominated by holding a 34.2% share of the copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling market in 2024.
Copper is the best conductor of electricity, it is widely used for wiring, circuit boards, connectors, and other components of various electrical and electronics devices. Copper is the third most-consumed metal in the world and three-quarters of its consumption goes towards electronics. From a technological perspective, mobile phones, smart tablets, and internet devices are today's ubiquitous communication gadgets. These gadgets significantly contributed to the rise in demand for electronic components, in particular, circuit materials, after their invention. Now, the market value of circuit materials is USD 30.58 billion. Estimates suggest that this number is USD 36.85 billion in 2023.
Remarkably, the Asia-Pacific region seems poised to advance as an important growth area for this circuit materials industry. To achieve the desired efficiency, recycled copper scrap serves as a viable alternative to virgin copper with comparable conductivity but offers a significant reduction in cost and environmental impact. What accelerates this dynamic are the developments in integration technologies, along with the speedy technological advancement of devices which leads to a sustainable stream of e-waste rich in copper.
Also, governments and other organizations adopt them to strengthen the principles of circular economy which foster and stimulate resource efficiency and e-waste recycling. The recycling of copper scrap from electronics does not only relieve pressure on landfill sites, but it does also help save energy considering recycled copper requires up to 85 percent less energy consumption in comparison to copper produced from primary resources. Concerning the global expansion in IoT integrated systems and the ongoing miniaturization of electronics, said expansion will inevitably lead to increased circulation of copper containing products. This guarantees a steady supply of copper alloy scrap for recycling which emphasizes the leadership role of the electric and electronics sector in the copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling industry.
In terms of source, the copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling market is segmented into old scrap and new scrap. The old scrap segment dominated the market by generating USD 25.3 billion revenue in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 70.7 billion by 2034.
The old scrap category leads the market for copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling due to its vast availability and the value it generates for the circular economy. This category consists of obsolete products which include electrical wiring, plumbing tubes, consumer electronics, old vehicles, and construction materials. Along with the aim of achieving sustainability, there is more focus from the economy and industries on collecting post-consumer waste and recycling them to extend the life of landfills or decrease the usage of landfill sites.
Modernization and urbanization also lead to the replacement of appliances and hence the demolition of buildings. It is a well-known fact that these materials contain abundant copper and their alloys which are easily recoverable with modern recycling technologies. On the other hand, some parts of the world like the U.S. and Europe have legislative policies and environmental regulations which strongly support the responsible disposal and recovery of post-consumer metals which is a boost for this segment.
Regarding the country landscape, the U.S. copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling market is anticipated to depict a CAGR of more than 10.2% from 2025 to 2034. The U.S. industry accounted for over USD 7.1 billion worth of revenue in 2024.
The increasing support towards sustainability and circular economy endeavours in the U.S. is one of the primary reasons stimulating growth in the demand for copper, copper alloys, and recycling. Industries are beginning voluntarily switching their operational practices towards greener alternatives. This has resulted in prioritizing copper recycling because it can be retained through multiple use cycles. The U.S. electrical and electronics industry which is heavily dependent on copper also contributes relatively high quantities of scrap copper through obsolete electrical equipment which creates a strong recycling stream.
One more important driver is the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which has stimulated modernization of infrastructure across the country. This has heightened the need for copper in construction for building wiring and plumbing, as well as energy systems, due to its superior conductivity and durability. The copper bearing transportation industry none other than electric vehicles (re-vamped) also contribute towards the demand, since EVs consume four times more copper than conventional automobiles. This helps reduce the need for primary copper imports and fulfils the requirement for recycled copper.
The adoption and utilization of energy efficient devices like wind turbines and smart grid systems, along with solar panels, increase the need for copper even further. The impact of copper and aluminium ESG goals, environmental policies, and regulations make copper scrap an indispensable foundational raw material for the U.S. industrial ecosystem.
Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market Share
The top 5 companies in the copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling industry include Aurubis AG, Umicore, Commercial Metals Company, European Metal Recycling (EMR), and Sims Metal Management. To gain competitive advantage manufacturers opt for various strategies like new product launch, mergers and acquisitions, and capacity expansion.
For example, in a bid to fortify the circular economy framework in North America, Aurubis AG, Europe’s leading copper producer, aims to expand its USD 800 million investment in a state-of-the-art copper recycling facility located in Richmond, Georgia. The plant is projected to begin operations in 2025, following four years of construction, and it will be the largest copper recycling facility in the region. In addition to possessing the capability to refine 70,000 tons of copper, the facility will process 180,000 metric tons of complex copper scrap annually. This facility is expected to aid in bridging the domestic processing deficit; in 2024, the US is estimated to have exported 960,000 tons of copper scrap, 41% of this volume was exported to China, highlighting the domestic supply chain's processing capacity limitations.
Trade Impact
As prices continue to rise due to the front-running of tariffs, copper in the U.S. has increased by more than 30% so far this year, the most since 2009. To profit from the arbitrage, traders have moved metal from international LME warehouses to the U.S. due to the fear of tariffs. For domestic use, the U.S. depends on imports of copper. About 50% of the U.S.'s domestic copper usage in 2024 came from imports, which totalled about 850,000 tons (not including scrap). President Donald J. Trump of U.S. declared on April 2, 2025, that four product categories, including copper, would not be subject to a broad range of tariffs.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. imported around 813,00 metric tons of refined copper but only 40 metric tons of copper concentrates and ore in the first 11 months of 2024. The U.S. imported over 129,000 metric tons of scrap copper during that same period. That was greatly offset by the more than 873,000 metric tons of red metal scrap that the U.S. sold, of which the People's Republic of China was by far the biggest client, followed by Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, and India.
Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Market Companies
Aurubis AG- Aurubis operates one of the largest copper recycling systems in Europe, processing a wide range of copper scrap and recycling materials. The Company processes copper-bearing scrap into usable materials to increase resource efficiencies. The company deliberates on technologically advanced hydrometallurgical procedures and sustainable closed loop smelting systems. Concentrated circular economy concepts and resource efficiency goals are deeply ingrained in companies’ recycling foundation. Hence Aurubis is an important player in the market.
Umicore- Nonferrous metals complex recycling is the specialization of this global materials technology firm. Its main plant in Hoboken, Belgium, stands out because of its precious metal recovery facilities. This plant milled out from industrial residues and e-waste using modern sustainable engineering principles, recovering significant levels of ecological harm industrial processes do harm to the environment. The facility can recover more than 20 types of metals such as copper, gold, silver, platinum, palladium etc. Umicore employs closed loop recycling systems enabling customers to return used materials for recovery and reuse.
Commercial Metals Company- CMC has a wide network of scrap collecting and recycling centers in the U.S. of America where copper and copper-bearing alloys are available for construction and manufacturing purposes. CMC’s vertically integrated business model yields electric arc furnace (EAF) elevation enabling ECOS reinforced products and merchant bar assisting production.
European Metal Recycling (EMR)- EMR has become well-known due to its broad coverage of European and North American facilities for metal recycling. EMR specializes in turning discarded copper wire, electrical parts, and alloy designs into clean new secondary materials using sustainable ethics, traceability, and reduction of landfill waste. EMR’s closed-loop systems and partnerships with manufacturing and utility sectors support the reintegration of recycled copper and other metals into new industrial and consumer products. This approach aligns with growing regional demand for resource conservation and circular economy practices.
Sims Metal Management- Sims stands as one of the foremost companies in the world concerning the recycling of metal. The company collects, processes, and deals in scrap copper and copper alloy. Sims operates in more than 15 countries and offers circular solutions to industries by extracting metals from end-of-life vehicles, appliances, and equipment, as well as from electronic waste.
Copper And Copper Alloy Scrap & Recycling Industry News
The copper and copper alloy scrap & recycling market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry, with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD Million) & volume (Tons) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:
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Market, By Type
Market, By Source
Market, By End Use
Market, By Processing Method
The above information is provided for the following regions and countries: