Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 0.6 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $107.1bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Environmental regulations increasingly impact recyclable material wholesalers
- Wholesalers dealing in materials such as ferrous and nonferrous metal scraps, plastics and automotive parts are significantly affected by tightening environmental regulations. These regulations are designed to ensure sustainable waste management practices and meet the growing public demand for eco-friendly solutions. Given that ferrous and nonferrous metals account for more than 70.0% of this industry’s activity, compliance is essential. Failing to meet these regulations can result in hefty fines, operational disruptions and damage to a company’s reputation. Adherence to these standards allows businesses to align with eco-conscious clients, unlocking potential market opportunities and strengthening positions against competitors.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
A circular economy is crucial for recyclable material wholesalers
- As the global market shifts towards adopting circular economy principles, businesses prioritizing the recycling and reuse of products such as paper, ink cartridges, glass and scrap tires are taking center stage in emphasizing sustainability. This shift positions circularity as a strategic imperative but comes with complexities and requires realignment with existing operational frameworks.
Biggest companies in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 | Profit ($m)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
635.3 | 33.8 | 5.3 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 1 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Ferrous scrap metal, Nonferrous scrap metal and Paper and paperboard. Ferrous scrap metal is the largest segment of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US.
Trends and Insights
Infrastructure investments and sustainability goals drive demand for recycled ferrous metals
- The surge in infrastructure spending, especially due to initiatives like the US Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, has boosted demand for ferrous metal scrap. These projects require large amounts of steel, positioning recycled ferrous materials as cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives. Wholesalers must fine-tune their supply chains to accommodate this increased demand and ensure timely delivery.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
This industry wholesales automotive scrap, industrial scrap and other recyclable materials, such as waste paper, glass and plastic. Industry establishments include auto wreckers that dismantle motor vehicles to wholesale salvaged scrap material and establishments that break up, sort and wholesale all forms of scrap iron and steel using power-processing equipment.
What's included in this industry?
Wholesale sales of recyclable paper and paperboardWholesale sales of recyclable ferrous metal scrapWholesale sales of recyclable nonferrous metal scrapWholesale sales of other recyclable materials including metal products, construction supplies, chemicals, textiles, and moreCompanies
Sims Metal Management LtdPurchase this report to view all 1 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
FERROUS METALSCRAPNONFERROUS METALMETALLURGICAL COALELECTRIC ARC FURNACES (EAF)LANDFILL TIPPING FEEIndustry Code
NAICS 42393 - Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Revenue growth has been moderate, influenced by fluctuations in material prices and evolving environmental regulations. These factors have necessitated strategic adaptations ...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Demand for recycled materials is increasing due to sustainability trends and cost-saving initiatives. Manufacturers are integrating more recycled content, driving wholesalers...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Geographic advantages significantly influence the presence and success of businesses dealing with recyclable materials. Regions with strong transportation networks and dense ...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
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.
Analyst insights
Navigating complex legal regulations poses a significant challenge for new businesses. Compliance with federal and state environmental laws requires substantial legal experti...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
The Recyclable Material Wholesaling industry does not have any major companies with a market share greater than 5.0%. This is because of the industry's highly fragmented natu...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Sims Metal Management Ltd's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Sims Metal Management Ltd, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Revenue is highly sensitive to changes in the world price of commodities. Steel, iron, crude oil and other materials are beholden to international trends and production, affe...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profitability is being driven by the rising prices of raw commodities. Supply shortages and increased demand for recyclable materials allow businesses to increase selling pri...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
- Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
- Income Statement (2018-2023)
- Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States in 2025?
The market size of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States is $107.1bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in 2025?
There are 13,813 businesses in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 0.5 % between 2020 and 2025.
Has the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States has been growing at a CAGR of 0.6 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US market in United States?
The biggest company operating in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling market in United States is Sims Metal Management Ltd
What does the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US in United States include?
Wholesale sales of recyclable paper and paperboard and Wholesale sales of recyclable ferrous metal scrap are part of the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US in United States?
The company holding the most market share in United States is Sims Metal Management Ltd.
How competitive is the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States?
The level of competition is high and steady in the Recyclable Material Wholesaling in the US industry in United States.
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Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
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Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
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