Tonnes of Steel Recycled This Year
CURRENT TOTAL
Live Counter Notable Facts
(Data shown in the table is for 2025. Counter shows current estimate)
Annual Steel Recycling
Per Second Rate
CO2 Saved
Understanding Tonnes of Steel Recycled This Year
This counter displays the cumulative amount of steel recycled globally throughout the year. Steel is the world's most recycled material, with approximately 630 million tonnes recycled annually, preventing almost 950 million tonnes of CO2 emissions while saving energy and conserving natural resources.
Steel recycling is fundamental to the circular economy, with recycled steel (also called steel scrap) making up a significant portion of new steel production. The recycling process uses far less energy than producing steel from iron ore, making it both economically and environmentally beneficial.
Different countries have varying recycling rates - Turkey uses 84.8% recycled steel in production, while China, despite being the largest user of recycled steel by volume, has a lower percentage due to its massive production scale and prevalence of blast furnace technology.
Global Steel Recycling Overview
- From our own calculations and those of worldsteel, some 630 million tonnes of recycled steel are used each year in global steel production, representing about one-third of total steel production inputs and demonstrating steel's circular economy credentials.
- China retained its position as the world's largest user of recycled steel, consuming 209.67 million tonnes in 2024 despite a 1.9% decline. The EU-27, USA, India, Japan, and Turkey are other major recycled steel consumers.
- Recycled steel usage varies significantly by production method - electric arc furnaces (EAF) use primarily recycled steel, while basic oxygen furnaces (BOF) use mainly iron ore with 10-25% recycled content. The global shift toward EAF production supports increased recycling.
- The recycling rate for steel globally exceeds 85%, making it one of the most recycled materials on Earth. Every tonne of steel recycled saves 1.5 tonnes of CO2, 1.4 tonnes of iron ore, 0.74 tonnes of coal, and 0.12 tonnes of limestone.
Steel Recycling Terminology
- Steel Scrap: Recycled steel from end-of-life products and manufacturing waste
- Electric Arc Furnace (EAF): Steelmaking method using primarily recycled steel
- Home Scrap: Steel waste generated within steel plants during production
- Obsolete Scrap: Steel recovered from end-of-life products like cars and buildings
Recycled Steel Usage by Country (2024)
- China: 209.67 million tonnes
- EU-27: 76.64 million tonnes
- USA: 55.3 million tonnes
- Japan: 30.82 million tonnes
- India: 29+ million tonnes
- Turkey: 26.5 million tonnes
- South Korea: 22.51 million tonnes
Sources of Steel Scrap
- Obsolete scrap (old cars, appliances): 45%
- Industrial scrap (manufacturing): 30%
- Construction/demolition: 20%
- Home scrap (steel plant waste): 5%
Environmental Benefits
- CO2 reduction: 950 million tonnes annually
- Energy savings: 74% less than primary production
- Raw material conservation: 1.4 tonnes ore per tonne
- Water savings: 40% reduction
- Air pollution: 86% less than primary steel
Data Sources and References
Methodology and Data Collection
Steel recycling data is compiled from industry associations, national statistics, and company reports. The Bureau of International Recycling and worldsteel provide comprehensive data on recycled steel consumption by country.
The real-time counter applies a recycling rate of 20.0 tonnes per second based on annual global recycled steel usage of approximately 630 million tonnes, distributed throughout the year according to industrial production patterns.