Waste Recycling Services - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The Waste Recycling Services Market size is estimated at USD 129.94 billion in 2025, and is expected to reach USD 162.71 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period (2025-2030).

Key Highlights

• The increasing demand for sustainability and rapid population growth drives the waste recycling services market.
• The modern economy's escalating waste volume and complexity are increasingly endangering ecosystems and human health. Globally, an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste are collected annually, with the decay of its organic fraction contributing to about 5% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. Notably, waste from electrical and electronic equipment, laden with new and hazardous substances, is emerging as a top challenge in both developed and developing nations.
• Poor waste management, spanning from absent collection systems to inadequate disposal methods, leads to air pollution and contaminates water and soil. Improper landfills further contaminate drinking water, posing health risks and disease transmission. Debris dispersal harms ecosystems, while hazardous substances from electronic and industrial waste strain both urban health and the environment.
• The primary solution lies in waste minimization. When waste is inevitable, the focus shifts to material and energy recovery, alongside remanufacturing and recycling. Recycling, in particular, offers significant resource savings. For instance, recycling a tonne of paper saves 17 trees and 50% of the water typically used. Additionally, the recycling industry is a significant job creator, employing over 12 million individuals across Brazil, China, and the United States.
• On March 15, 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) announced the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, in the Gazette of India, further refining the 2016 Plastic Waste Management Rules. Effective immediately upon publication, this amendment underscored India's commitment to combating plastic pollution. Hence, government bodies across various regions are intensifying efforts to minimize waste and promote recycling services.

Waste Recycling Services Market Trends

Municipal Segment Seeing an Upsurge in Waste Recycling Activities

With municipal waste projected to surge by two-thirds and its associated costs nearly doubling within a generation, a recent report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights the urgent need for a significant reduction in waste generation to ensure a sustainable and affordable future.

The UNEP report forecasts that global municipal solid waste generation, which stood at 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023, will reach 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. When considering the broader impacts of inadequate waste management-such as pollution, health hazards, and climate change-the estimated cost escalates to a substantial USD 361 billion. Failing to address waste management issues promptly could see this annual global cost soar to a monumental USD 640.3 billion by 2050, underscoring the pressing need for nations to prioritize municipal waste recycling initiatives.

China, the world's second most populous country, faces a monumental challenge, producing over 10 billion tons of waste annually, spanning industrial, agricultural, and domestic sectors. This data, released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment in January 2024, underscores the scale of the issue. However, there are positive strides in China's domestic waste treatment. In an effort to enhance living conditions and bolster economic gains, companies like Zhao's are adopting innovative approaches. They are gathering waste from specific zones, incinerating non-recyclables to power urban areas, and employing unique methods for challenging waste, like fermenting and dehydrating fruit peels before incineration.

Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) announced plans to invest in waste-to-energy plants, aligning with the nation's ambition to achieve a 3GW waste-to-energy capacity by 2030. A key focus for SIRC is enhancing the cost-efficiency of waste-to-energy processes. Hence, regional governments are spearheading various initiatives to promote recycling endeavors.

Asia-Pacific Observing Significant Growth in the Market

Asia's rapid economic growth and urbanization are amplifying concerns about solid waste generation and management. Adding complexity, each Asian country and region boasts unique approaches to waste management and material-cycle policies despite their shared geographic region.

As the world pushes toward a circular economy, the spotlight on waste management in the Asia-Pacific market intensifies. The United Nations Centre for Regional Development reported that in 2014, the region generated a staggering 70-104 million tonnes of plastic waste. Projections indicate this number could surge to 140 million tonnes by 2030, propelled by a relentless rise in virgin plastic consumption.

While the demand for recycled plastics is on the upswing, the region grapples with a glaring deficit in waste infrastructure. However, concerted efforts in collaboration, regulation, and investment are underway, aiming to surmount this hurdle and actualize the circular economy vision.

In Asia-Pacific, mechanical recycling, especially in Northeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, has a well-established presence. The region's current installed capacity for mechanical recycling stands at over 18 million tonnes annually. Notably, China leads, accounting for 66% of this capacity, with India following with an approximately 8% share. From 2012 to 2022, the region's mechanical recycling capacity doubled, and it has maintained an average annual growth rate of about 4% since 2018. Projections from ICIS indicate a significant surge in mechanical recycling output, from 12 million tonnes in 2023 to an estimated 35 million tonnes annually by 2040. With this, Asia-Pacific is making a surmountable effort to reduce the waste generated every day.

Waste Recycling Services Industry Overview

The waste recycling services market is fragmented in nature. The competitive landscape is diverse and dynamic. Various companies compete to provide recycling services, waste collection, sorting, processing, and disposal. Some key players in the market include Eurokey Recycling Ltd, Northstar Recycling, Triple M Metal LP, Amdahl Corp., and Interface Inc.

Small and medium-sized enterprises also play a significant role in the waste recycling services market, offering specialized services or catering to specific regions or waste streams.

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