£8.3bn
£XXX.Xm
5,748
279
£XXX.Xm
The prices of ferrous and non-ferrous metals sway the Scrap Metal Recycling industry’s performance. Trends in the manufacturing and construction markets have a big influence on demand. Revenue is projected to expand at a compound annual rate of 3.8% over the five years through 2024-25 to £8.9 billion. Metal prices fluctuate a lot, meaning revenue can be extremely volatile. Higher global metal prices allow recyclers to sell their scrap metal at higher prices, boosting revenue. However, manufacturing and construction output have been damaged by the high interest rates of the cost-of-living crisis curbing investment.
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated £8.3bn in 2024.
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue (£m)
2025 |
---|---|---|
European Metal Recycling Ltd | 2,007.5 | |
Sims Group UK Ltd | 759.9 | |
ELG Metals UK Ltd | 147.9 |
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Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Iron and steel scrap recycling, Aluminium scrap recycling and Copper scrap recycling. Iron and steel scrap recycling is the largest segment of the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK.
Iron and steel scrap prices prove volatile
Companies in this industry collect, process and recycle ferrous metals (like iron and steel) and non-ferrous metals (like aluminium, copper and nickel). Industry products are typically sold to metal smelters for further processing.
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SIC 38.11 - Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Fluctuating metal prices heavily impact the industry. This is because metal prices dictate the price at which recyclers can sell scrap metal. When the price of steel and othe...
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Iron and steel stand at the top of the market. Both metals don’t lose chemical or physical properties when recycled, meaning there’s no limit to how many times they can be re...
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
The West Midlands is home to the most scrap metal producers. Companies benefit from the region having a strong manufacturing presence.
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Two big scrap metal recyclers dominate the fragmented industry. Many small scrap metal recyclers exist, but EMR and Sims Group UK hold the market share.
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
EMR thrives by investing and making acquisitions. In recent years, the company has put a lot of money into its existing sites and acquired other companies to expand its opera...
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
The Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 governs recycling operations. It enforces cashless transactions and mandatory seller identification checks to clamp down on illegal trade, re...
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Fluctuating metal prices influence profit. Volatile metal prices, exacerbated by market conditions, have led some major companies to incur losses for extended periods.
Including values and annual change:
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Key data sources in the UK include:
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These sources include:
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The market size of the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry in United Kingdom is £8.3bn in 2024.
There are 279 businesses in the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry in United Kingdom, which has declined at a CAGR of 1.0 % between 2019 and 2024.
The market size of the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry in United Kingdom has been growing at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2019 and 2024.
Over the next five years, the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry in United Kingdom is expected to grow.
The biggest companies operating in the Scrap Metal Recycling market in United Kingdom are European Metal Recycling Ltd, Sims Group UK Ltd and ELG Metals UK Ltd
Iron and steel scrap recycling and Aluminium scrap recycling are part of the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry.
The company holding the most market share in United Kingdom is European Metal Recycling Ltd.
The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Scrap Metal Recycling in the UK industry in United Kingdom.