Zinc Scrap Market

Zinc Scrap Market Outlook (2025 to 2035)

The global zinc scrap market is expected to reach USD 19,178 million by 2035, up from USD 11,496 million in 2024. During the forecast period 2025 to 2035, the industry is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.8%.

The global zinc scrap market is emerging as galvanizing, die-casting, and alloy production industries advance toward circular production models. The increasing amount of zinc consumption in battery manufacturing and construction is adding significance to scrap recovery.

Zinc recycling is increasingly viewed as a strategic necessity, driven by economic considerations, regulatory policies, and safety concerns of materials that are generating interest across manufacturing, chemical, and metallurgical sectors worldwide.

Quick Stats for Zinc Scrap Market

• Industry Value (2025): USD 12,000 Million
• Projected Value (2035): USD 19,178 Million
• Forecast CAGR (2025 to 2035): 4.8%
• Leading Segment (2025): Post-Industrial Scrap (23.4% Market Share)
• Fastest Growing Country (2025-2035): India (7.4% CAGR)
• Top Key Players: Grillo-Werke AG, Boliden AB, Recylex S.A., DOWA Holdings / Akita Zinc

What are the drivers of the zinc scrap market?

The increasing demand for zinc in the global market infrastructure, automobile and battery production industries is contributing to sustainable sourcing. Since primary zinc mining is subjected to pressure in terms of costing and the environment, industries are turning towards secondary sourcing by recovering scraps. Zinc scrap offers significant energy savings and aligns with the circular economy concept, which is why it is a high-value adoption target downstream.

The rules issued by the government requiring recycling quotas, particularly in Europe and Asia, have encouraged manufacturers to incorporate scrap-based zinc into their chains. The policies aim to reduce industrial wastes, landfills, and control emissions from structural tailwinds in the zinc scrap market. The compliance-led recovery strategies are also being strengthened by the emerging Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) systems.

Scrap economics is evolving with technological development in sorting scrap, hydrometallurgical extraction, and purification. Firms that have implemented AI-powered material identification and automation in scrap yards are experiencing an increase in yields. The synergies between the recycler and the end-use industries like galvanizers and die-casters are establishing predictable stream feedstocks, supporting supply continuity and competitive differentiation.

What are the regional trends of the zinc scrap market?

Closed-loop recycling programmes are being fuelled by the automotive and construction industries in North America. Galvanizers and die-casters in the United States are incorporating zinc scrap reclamation into their operations, with support at the corporate sustainability levels. Traceability and regulatory compliance are being accelerated by technology implementation into scrap yards.

China and India are becoming the new zinc scrap hubs in Asia because of local demand for zinc, cost-sensitive industries, coupled with increasing infrastructure spending. Policy shift and stringent import regulation, as well as localizing of zinc value chains, have been driving formalization in previously informal recycling segments.

Europe is already a well-established market in terms of well-developed and controlled environmental standards that have organised scrap gathering and recycling schemes. The EU codes on construction and electronic waste are enhancing zinc scrap supplies. Countries such as Germany and the Netherlands are focusing on the high-tech approaches to recovery, cross-industrial synergy and establishing the milestones of traceable, high-purity zinc recovery.

What are the challenges and restraining factors of the zinc scrap market?

Low quality of the collected material is one of the main problems with the zinc scrap. Contaminations, coatings and the mixed alloy contents inhibit the recycling efficiency and complicate quality control. The inconsistency of the feedstock contributes to higher processing expenses and low yields of the high-specification products.

Technological limitations persist in hydrometallurgical and direct remelt processes especially in regions where large-scale purification technologies are not readily available. Old machines and the absence of technical skills limit the possibility of scaling up and lower competitiveness in smaller recycling hubs that lack capital investment.

Further complications arise from inconsistent policy frameworks and informal networks of scrap collection. In several economies, unregulated players are dominant in scrap collection, where evasion of taxes, poor safety performance, and inconsistent supply chains exist. The global scrap trade is disrupted by import/export barriers and periodic policy changes, coupled with interruptions in the supply of high-consumption industries that rely on international sourcing.

Country-Wise Insights

The United States Leads in Technology-Integrated Zinc Scrap Recovery

The U.S. has emerged as a key participant in zinc scrap recycling, because of powerful administrative monitoring, improved regeneration framework and industrial-scale creation of scrap. The galvanizing and die-casting industries in the U.S. have significant contributions to the post-industrial scrap streams in the country, guaranteeing the continuity of domestic recovery flow.

It is characterized by technological adoption. Facilities within the U.S are using automated sorting, AI to help characterize material, and IoT to help optimize throughput. Direct re-melting and hydrometallurgical technology is common to the leading recyclers, providing clean and efficient re-use of zinc ash, turnings and dross in metallic forms.

A higher domestic demand for zinc in steel coating and emerging EV battery parts has led the U.S. to focus on domestic scrap. Export flows are then selectively reduced, with circular economy principles taking precedence. The combination of policy support, high industrial consciousness and investment in research and development strengthens the U.S. position as a focal point for sustainability in recycling zinc.

India Expands Rapidly Through Formalization and End-Use Growth

Zinc scrap recovery is gaining momentum in India due to an increasing rate of industrialization, expansion in construction, and government policies to formalize the informal recycling sector. The post-consumer and post-industrial zinc scrap is primarily collected from domestic galvanizing and die-casting segments.

Formal investment has been encouraged through recent government efforts in modernising material recovery facilities and encouraging metropolitan strategies to achieve the circular economy. The recycling centres in India, especially Gujarat and Maharashtra, are adopting semi-automatic sorting systems and separation using machines. The use of pyrometallurgical recycling is increasing among key players that cater to the alloy production sector.

India is not only a high-growth domestic consumer but also a price-conscious exporter of zinc scrap. The demand for EV and infrastructure divisions with greater zinc use is making the purchase of low-density, traceable, and high-purity scrap a priority. The strategic value of India is that it can provide affordable zinc scrap in large volumes to the MENA and Asia-Pacific markets while strengthening its scrap recovery system.

China Drives Scale, Efficiency, and Export Dominance in Zinc Scrap

China continues to lead the zinc scrap market due to its large processing capacities, domestic zinc demand and ongoing export activities. The nation produces in large quantities galvanized steel and zinc die-casting scrap in the automobile, electronics, and construction materials industries.

The investments by the state in China have promoted the infrastructure level in recycling, specifically in Hebei, Jiangsu, and Guangdong. Large facilities operate integrated hydrometallurgical processing lines and direct melting of the zinc ingot and coated scrap. Automation and centralized collection systems increase traceability and process yield by using AI.

Environmental policies are becoming increasingly stringent, but the export capacity of China remains unmatched. They transport the zinc scrap to Southeast Asia and Africa, where processing is not as advanced as it is in local smelters. Meanwhile, its domestic applications continue to grow with the green building rules and grids-storages investments combined with the production of zinc alloys of high value. The dual focus prevailing in the export field and modernizing at home ensures China's global leadership.

Category-Wise Analysis

Post-Consumer Scrap is Powering Circular Zinc Use Across Core Industries

Post-consumer zinc scrap has gained prominence as governments and industries pursue environmental accountability and landfill reduction. Produced out of end-of-life construction material, automobiles and white goods, this stream provides a stable supply of coated and mixed alloy scrap. The post-consumer inputs are preferable to recyclers since they are very large in quantity and have helped in improving the circularity metrics.

Recovery rates are improving as a result of increasing funding for infrastructure dismantling, reverse logistics, and AI-based identification. Industries using post-consumer scrap in end-use industries, particularly galvanizing and die-casting, are adopting the practice to reduce their reliance on primary zinc and align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) requirements.

Post-consumer scrap is well-suited to support low-carbon approaches to material sourcing, mainly because its traceable and recyclable nature makes it a likely beneficiary of tightening regulation, particularly in Europe and North America.

Hydrometallurgical Recovery is Redefining Scrap Purification Efficiency

Hydrometallurgical recovery has been increasingly adopted for the processing of high-purity zinc from various forms of scrap such as zinc ash, zinc turnings and zinc dross. This method provides an enhanced control of impurities and allows the recyclers to satisfy battery producers and alloy manufacturers who require extraordinarily high purity. It is also low in emissions because of its aqueous processing environment compared to thermal techniques.

Recyclers are increasing the modular hydrometallurgical units and incorporating automation into their facilities; this makes the method increasingly commercial. Other markets where deployment is leading are China, Germany and the U.S., especially those areas where regulation is quite stringent in terms of low-waste and low-emission processes. The flexibility of this process in relation to complex feedstock as well as environmental compliance will guarantee its growing market share due to an increasing demand for high-quality secondary zinc.

Competitive Analysis

Key players in the zinc scrap industry include Grillo-Werke AG, Boliden AB, Recylex S.A., DOWA Holdings / Akita Zinc, American Zinc Recycling Corp. (AZR), Befesa S.A., Recytech (Befesa Recytech), Korea Zinc Co., Ltd., Pedalpoint Holdings (Korea Zinc), Sims Metal Management Ltd., A C Metalloys, Metalloys Recycling Ltd. (MRL), Frank Metals, CoreZinc, Ritzee Recycling Pvt. Ltd.

Regional fragmentation and the innovation-based differentiation characterize the zinc scrap market. Established recyclers are focusing on traceability, purity and vertical integration, linking collection to processing and delivery of final use feedstock. High-purity ingots and alloy-grade scrap sections with downstream compliance and performance important stages experience intensified competition.

The smaller recyclers are entering mergers or joint ventures in order to tap into purification technologies, which are capital-intensive in nature. AI-based diagnostics and scrap sorting with innovation is contributing to improved efficiency in the process. Purchasing departments prefer working with ESG-compliant, transparent suppliers. The competition is expected to shift towards an integrated, technology-driven scrap supply chain with the ability to achieve narrowing purity and sustainability standards.

Recent Development

• In November 2024, Boliden AB and ABB announced a technology partnership to incorporate Boliden's low-carbon zinc into ABB's low-voltage power distribution equipment. This agreement enhanced Boliden's premium scrap-sourcing program by utilizing recycled zinc with 75% lower embedded emissions, positioning the metal for infrastructure electrification projects and marking a significant shift towards circular procurement models in electrical hardware.
• In November 2024, DOWA Holdings’ metals unit approved the transfer of its interest in the Palmer zinc-copper exploration project in Alaska to focus on downstream recycling. This decision marked a shift towards higher-margin urban-mine activities, allowing for accelerated technology upgrades at Akita Zinc’s secondary-material lines in Japan.

Fact.MR has provided detailed information about the price points of key manufacturers of the Zinc Scrap Market positioned across regions, sales growth, production capacity, and speculative technological expansion, in the recently published report.

Methodology and Industry Tracking Approach

The 2025 global zinc scrap market report by Fact.MR is built on insights from 1,050 stakeholders across 10 countries, ensuring a minimum of 70 respondents per nation. Among these, 60% were from zinc-consuming sectors including galvanizers, alloy manufacturers, battery firms, and die-casters while 40% included scrap processors, regulatory consultants, and supply chain strategists.

Data was gathered between July 2024 and June 2025, with emphasis on scrap quality control, recovery technologies, compliance with environmental standards, and downstream usability. A globally calibrated model ensured robust representation across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.

The analysis incorporated more than 90 credible sources, including industrial policy reports, metallurgical journals, logistics studies, and financial filings from top recyclers. Every data point was triangulated to deliver strategic, actionable insights for decision-makers across the zinc scrap value chain.

Fact.MR applied rigorous analytical tools such as multi-variable regression and scenario modeling to ensure data robustness. With continuous monitoring of the glass adhesives space since 2018, this report offers a comprehensive roadmap for firms seeking competitive advantage, innovation, and sustainable growth within the sector.

Segmentation of Zinc Scrap Market

• By Source of Scrap :

  • Post-Consumer Scrap
  • Post-Industrial Scrap
  • Galvanized Steel Scrap
  • Zinc Die Casting Scrap
  • Zinc Sheet/Plate Scrap
  • Mixed Non-Ferrous Scrap Containing Zinc

• By Processing Method :

  • Mechanical Separation
  • Pyrometallurgical Recycling
  • Hydrometallurgical Recovery
  • Direct Remelting

• By Scrap Form :

  • Zinc Ash/Dross
  • Zinc Turnings/Chips
  • Zinc Ingots (from scrap)
  • Zinc-Coated Scrap (Steel + Zn)
  • Mixed Zinc Alloys Scrap

• By End-Use Industry :

  • Galvanizing Industry
  • Zinc Alloy Production
  • Die-Casting Industry
  • Chemical Manufacturing
  • Battery Manufacturing
  • Paints and Coatings
  • Fertilizer Production

• By Region :

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Western Europe
  • Eastern Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia & Pacific
  • Middle East & Africa