Waste Recycling Services Market Size, Share, and Trends 2025 to 2034

Waste Recycling Services Market Size and Forecast 2025 to 2034

The global waste recycling services market size was estimated for USD 65.40 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to reach around USD 109.61 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 5.30% from 2025 to 2034. 

Waste Recycling Services Market Key Takeaways

• Asia Pacific dominated the global waste recycling services market with the largest market share of 41% in 2024.
• North America  is expected to expand at a solid CAGR during the forecast period. 
• By application, the municipal segment contributed the highest market share of 54% in 2024.
• By product, the paper and paperboard segment has held the biggest market share in 2024.

How is AI helping waste recycling services? 

The intersection of AI and waste management has recently emerged as a promising frontier in sustainability research. The application of AI in waste management covers several current trends. Machine learning algorithms for waste sorting are used to classify and sort recyclables and reduce contamination in recycling streams. Moreover, AI-powered robotics are being introduced to automate and improve the efficiency of waste processing, particularly in sorting tasks. Later, AI-powered sensors integrated with the Internet of Things are utilized to evaluate waste collection by tracking the fill levels of waste bins and analyzing the need for collection.  

Asia Pacific Waste Recycling Services Market Size and Growth 2025 to 2034

The Asia Pacific waste recycling services market size was estimated at USD 26.81 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to be surpass around USD 45.49 billion by 2034, rising at a CAGR of 5.42% from 2025 to 2034.

Asia Pacific dominated the global waste recycling services market with the largest market share of 41% in 2024. This is attributed to the increased industrialization in the region owing to the government policies that attracts FDIs. The Asia Pacific region has become the manufacturing hub of the globe owing to the cheap availability of the factors of production in the region. Countries like China and India are known for manufacturing goods at low cost. This results in the generation of huge wastes. Moreover, the generation of huge e-wastes owing to the huge adoption of the consumer electronics and various other electronic devices across different industries is expected to drive the growth of the waste recycling services market in Asia Pacific. These factors are presenting huge growth opportunities in this region and hence Asia Pacific is also estimated to be the most opportunistic segment during the forecast period.

North America is expected to expand at a solid CAGR during the forecast period.  The increased awareness regarding the waste management systems and increased government initiatives to promote sustainability are the major factors that have driven the growth of the waste recycling services market. Germany, Austria, and Wales are among the top countries which recycles maximum wastes. The recycling rate of these countries is over 52% and the recycling rate of US is around 35%. The stringent government regulations pertaining to the industrial wastes are expected to further drive the growth of the waste recycling services market in the forthcoming years.

Market Overview

The growing burden of various waste materials owing to the high volume of economic activities across the globe has resulted in a huge demand for waste recycling services. Waste recycling services have become an important part of the urban infrastructure that helps to protect both human health and the environment. The accumulation of plastic waste is a major issue that results in marine pollution. Rapid urbanization and rapid industrialization across the globe have resulted in the high consumption of various hazardous chemicals that generate huge amounts of waste. 

The increased adoption of disposable packaging materials and various disposals and consumables across various industry verticals, such as food and beverages, healthcare, personal care, and consumer goods, is resulting in the burgeoning demand for waste recycling services. The tremendous expansion of the recycling industry and the surging awareness regarding waste recycling systems are expected to have a significant impact on the market growth. The growing adoption of various electronic devices across the globe has resulted in the generation of huge amounts of electronic waste. Moreover, recycled trash has been set up in many countries to promote the growth of recycling management.

Waste Recycling Services Market Growth Factors

• The rising agricultural production and rising amount of wastage from the agro-industries are expected to drive the demand for waste recycling services across the globe.
• The growing investments by the government and corporate sector to promote sustainability are fueling the demand for waste recycling services. 
• The growing government initiatives to reduce wastage and increasing emphasis on the recycling of waste materials are fueling the growth of global waste recycling services. 
• Moreover, the rising awareness regarding sustainability and environmental protection is encouraging the adoption of waste recycling services. The research and development of innovative technologies that can efficiently serve the waste recycling initiatives is further fueling the growth of the waste recycling services market.
• Furthermore, the growing government investments in setting up recycling plants in various locations are driving the growth of the waste recycling services market. 

Market Scope

Product insights

The paper and paperboard segment has held the biggest market share in 2024. The paper and paperboard segment accounted for a market share of around 42% in 2022. The high generation of the paper wastes through newspapers, paper packaging, and containers. Furthermore, the surging penetration of the e-commerce across the globe is generating huge volume of paper and paperboard packages. Moreover, the surging adoption of paper based packaging to reduce the single-sue plastic wastes is driving the growth in the volume of paper wastes. These factors have boosted the growth of the paper and paperboard segment in the past few years.

The electronic wastes segment is estimated to be the most opportunistic segment during the forecast period. This is attributed to the surging adoption of various consumer electronics such as smartphones, watches, televisions, laptops, desktops, and so on. E-wastes needs special attention as it is different from industrial or municipal wastes. The e-wastes contain several harmful materials such as calcium, beryllium, and lead. The surging demand for the various electronic gadgets across the globe is expected to drive the growth of this segment in the forthcoming years.

Application Insights

The municipal segment contributed the highest market share of 54% in 2024. The increased investment by the government and the favorable policies by the municipalities pertaining to the waste management have significantly fostered the growth of this segment. The surging number of waste management activities by the municipalities to shift towards a sustainable future is fueling the market growth.

The industrial is expected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. The rapid industrialization across the globe and growing investments in the industrial development are the major factors that drive the growth of the industrial segment in the waste recycling services market. The stringent government regulations pertaining to the wastes from the industries have driven the demand for the waste recycling services.

Waste Recycling Services Market Companies

• Eurokey Recycling, Ltd.
• Northstar Recycling
• Triple M Metal LP
• Amdahl Corporation
• Interface, Inc.
• Covanta
• Epson, Inc.
• Collins & Aikman
• Xerox Corp.
• Fetzer Vineyards
• Zanker Road Landfill
• Rubicon Global
• RU Recycling- und Umweltdienst GmbH
• Advanced Disposal Services
• Biffa

Recent developments 

• In June 2024, Fortum and Korean waste management agency KORAD signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in radioactive waste management. The MoU targets to foster further and formalize collaboration between the parties, offering a foundation for general information and experience sharing.
• In February 2024, Interstate Waste Services, Inc. declared it has entered into a definitive agreement to obtain Oak Ridge Waste & Recycling.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Product

• Metals
• Paper and Paperboard
• Glass
• Bulbs & Batteries
• Electronics
• Yard Trimmings
• Food
• Others

By Application

• Industrial
• Municipal
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• U.S.
• Canada
• Europe
• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Rest of Latin America
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)
• GCC
• North Africa
• South Africa
• Rest of the Middle East & Africa