BIR: Global Scrap Consumption Recorded Decline in 2024
May 29, 2025 09:30:15 PM
On the other hand, the Turkish scrap consumption increased by 7.5% year-on-year to 31.3 million tons.
By Paul Ploumis
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) recently released data showing a drop in worldwide scrap usage in 2024. During the previous year, the amount of scrap used decreased slightly by 1% to 460.6 million tons. The decrease in scrap use coincides with a 0.7% annual drop in total steel output to 1.55 billion tons.
South Korea reported the biggest decrease in scrap utilization. Consumption of scrap decreased to 22.5 million tons, a 14% annual decrease. The nation's steel output had only decreased by 4.8% annually. The United States (3%), Japan (3.2%), and China (1.9%), are the other nations that have seen a decrease in scrap use.
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In contrast, Turkey's scrap usage rose to 31.3 million tons, a 7.5% annual increase. The nation's scrap percentage in steel production was the highest at 84.8%, surpassing that of the US (69.2%) and the EU (59.2%). Additionally, in 2024, scrap consumption increased in the EU and India.
Turkey continued to be the biggest importer of scrap in 2024, acquiring 20.1 million tons. The United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom were the main suppliers. Conversely, the EU continued to be the biggest exporter of scrap.
