Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Baler Presses, Granulators, Extruders, Agglomerators), By Application (Automotive, Building & Construction, Industrial Machineries, Electrical Equipment, Other), Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Overview

Global Recycling Equipment & Machinery market size is projected at USD 799.56 million in 2024 and is expected to hit USD 1089.7 million by 2033 with a CAGR of 3.5%.

The global recycling equipment & machinery market has seen significant traction, driven by stringent waste disposal regulations and surging material recovery needs. With over 2.24 billion tons of solid waste generated globally each year, nearly 931 million tons are categorized as recyclable. Among these, plastic recycling alone contributed to over 390 million tons processed globally in 2023. Over 58 countries have implemented mandatory recycling targets, directly impacting equipment demand. More than 40,000 industrial recycling units are operational across Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America, each housing equipment ranging from balers to granulators. Industrial growth and automation have resulted in an uptick in sales of fully automated baling systems, with over 31% of facilities now using robotic balers. Demand for high-capacity shredders has increased by 23% in Europe due to the surge in WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) waste volumes, which reached over 59 million tons globally in 2023. Over 78% of recycling machinery installations are now embedded with IoT-based performance monitoring.

Key Findings

Top Driver reason: Increasing regulatory mandates for industrial and municipal waste recycling have accelerated equipment adoption globally.

Top Country/Region: China, with over 73 million tons of recyclable waste processed in 2023, leads the global market.

Top Segment: Baler Presses hold the highest market share, with over 120,000 units deployed in commercial recycling applications worldwide.

Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Trends

The recycling equipment & machinery market is undergoing rapid transformation. Automation and robotics are now embedded in over 42% of new installations, improving throughput by 35% compared to manual setups. In 2023, over 21,000 AI-enabled sorting machines were deployed globally, up from 13,000 units in 2021. The demand for dual-shaft shredders has grown by 18% due to their application in processing scrap metals and e-waste. The rising trend in mobile recycling units has also gained traction, with over 8,700 portable shredders and balers deployed in 2023, predominantly in North America and Southeast Asia. Adoption of energy-efficient machinery has surged by 26%, with manufacturers emphasizing sustainability. In Europe alone, more than 17,000 recycling machines sold in 2023 were rated to consume 20% less energy compared to their 2020 counterparts. Additionally, 3D printing waste recyclers recorded a 19% jump in unit sales, signaling expansion into niche applications. Equipment with modular designs now accounts for 39% of the market, allowing flexibility across multiple waste streams. Sensor-based sorting systems grew 28% in adoption between 2022 and 2023, with infrared and X-ray technologies now used in over 15,500 facilities worldwide.

Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rise in recycling mandates across industrial economies

Governments across over 65 nations have mandated industrial and municipal waste recycling, compelling enterprises to invest in recycling equipment & machinery. For instance, the European Union aims to recycle 55% of municipal waste by 2025, pushing demand for high-capacity recycling balers and optical sorters. In India, over 800 recycling zones have been commissioned, each requiring more than 12 machines per cluster. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that over 150 million tons of solid waste were recycled in 2023, necessitating the deployment of over 90,000 mechanical recycling machines. More than 51% of OEMs now integrate PLCs into their equipment for smart waste tracking, further enhancing productivity.

RESTRAINT

High initial capital costs for advanced equipment

One of the main restraints in the recycling equipment & machinery market is the significant upfront investment required for automated and high-capacity machinery. The average cost for an industrial baler exceeds $38,000, while advanced sorting machines can cost over $95,000 per unit. For SMEs, over 72% report difficulty in accessing credit facilities to finance such equipment. Installation, training, and periodic maintenance add another 18% to total lifecycle costs. Additionally, robotics-integrated machinery requires skilled operators, and currently, less than 22% of recycling plants have the required technical workforce, further hampering adoption.

OPPORTUNITY

Technological advancements in AI and automation

The integration of AI in recycling equipment offers a significant opportunity for manufacturers and recyclers. Over 15,000 machines with AI-powered object recognition were deployed in 2023 alone. These systems can increase recovery rates by 29% while reducing contamination by 17%. More than 11 countries are offering tax subsidies for AI-enabled recycling tech, including Germany, South Korea, and Australia. With 5G networks expanding globally, real-time monitoring is now feasible in over 30,000 recycling centers. The number of patents filed in recycling automation rose by 23% between 2022 and 2023, reflecting intense R&D investments.

CHALLENGE

Operational downtime and equipment obsolescence

Rising technological advancements have rendered 36% of recycling equipment models outdated within five years. Equipment older than seven years experiences an average downtime of 31 days annually, costing businesses over $9,000 per machine in lost output. With over 60% of facilities still operating legacy machinery, performance bottlenecks persist. Moreover, the compatibility of old systems with modern data-driven processes remains low, and only 19% are IoT-ready. The maintenance frequency for aging equipment has also increased by 27% compared to newly deployed systems.

Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Segmentation

The recycling equipment & machinery market is segmented by type and application. Types include baler presses, granulators, extruders, and agglomerators, while applications span automotive, building & construction, industrial machineries, electrical equipment, and others. Over 42% of recycling machinery demand stems from the building & construction sector. More than 115,000 machines globally serve the electrical waste segment, while automotive applications account for 26% of total unit deployment.

By Type

• Baler Presses: Over 145,000 baler presses are in operation globally. In 2023, the U.S. alone installed 9,400 new balers across municipal facilities. These machines can process over 1.2 tons of waste per hour, reducing volume by 88%. Hydraulic balers make up 67% of the segment.
• Granulators: More than 93,000 granulators are used in plastic recycling, with cutting capacities exceeding 1,200 kg/hr. In 2023, China exported over 15,700 granulators, up 12% from 2022. These machines are used in 35% of plastic reprocessing units.
• Extruders: The extrusion segment includes over 44,000 machines, predominantly for polymer and rubber recycling. Average throughput stands at 800 kg/hr. Europe houses 12,600 extrusion-based recyclers, supported by automated feeding systems.
• Agglomerators: Around 38,000 agglomerators are active worldwide, largely in PET and LDPE recycling. India accounts for 8,400 installations, with 90% deployed in rural plastic recovery plants. Typical agglomeration capacity reaches 550 kg/hr.

By Application

• Automotive: Over 39 million tons of automotive waste is recycled annually, supported by 42,000 machines including shredders, shears, and magnetic separators. In 2023, 4,600 shredding lines were sold for automotive use.
• Building & Construction: The construction sector utilizes 68,000 units of recycling machinery, especially crushers and balers. Over 810 million tons of construction waste were generated in 2023, out of which 420 million tons were mechanically processed.
• Industrial Machineries: More than 47,000 machines support industrial component recycling. These include press machines, wire strippers, and granulators. Japan alone processed 26 million tons of industrial scrap through machinery in 2023.
• Electrical Equipment: With 59 million tons of global e-waste in 2023, 64,000 units of optical sorting and disassembling machines are in use. Europe leads in application, with over 22,000 installations in this segment.
• Other: Textile and paper recycling use over 29,000 specialized machines. Brazil added 3,700 paper compactors in 2023, while Vietnam commissioned 2,200 textile shredders.

Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Regional Outlook

The recycling equipment & machinery market exhibits strong regional variations due to infrastructure readiness and regulation levels.

• North America

Over 185,000 recycling machines are deployed in the U.S. and Canada combined. The U.S. has more than 75 material recovery facilities (MRFs) with over 2,400 advanced sorters in use. Mexico saw a 14% rise in machinery imports in 2023.

• Europe

Europe leads in equipment density, with over 210,000 machines distributed across 27 EU states. Germany alone houses 38,000 units, while France and Italy operate over 60 combined recycling centers equipped with 1,300+ balers each.

• Asia-Pacific

With over 290,000 machines, Asia-Pacific is the fastest-deploying region. China processed 73 million tons of recyclable waste in 2023 with over 95,000 equipment units. India and Japan follow with 52,000 and 41,000 machines, respectively.

• Middle East & Africa

Over 43,000 machines are used across UAE, South Africa, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia added 1,900 recycling units in 2023. South Africa processed over 2.6 million tons of scrap with the aid of 3,500 automated sorters.

List of Top Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market Companies

• Lefort
• Danieli Centro Recycling
• Morita Holdings Corporation
• Forrec Srl Recycling
• BHS Sonthofen
• Panchal Plastic Machinery Private Ltd
• Mid Atlantic Waste Systems
• Idromec Spa
• Recycling Equipment Manufacturing, Inc. (REM)
• The CP Group
• MSS optical sorting systems
• Recycling Equipment Corporation (REC)
• General Kinematics
• Kiverco
• Green Machine
• M Machinex
• American Baler
• SHERBROOKE OEM
• MHM Recycling Equipment
• Godswill satisfies
• Ceco Equipment Ltd.
• Marathon Equipment

Top Companies with Highest Market Share

The CP Group: Over 1,800 installations globally, with 680 in North America alone and more than 400 AI-integrated machines.

Lefort: Deployed over 2,100 metal balers worldwide; exports to more than 65 countries; over 370 units sold in 2023.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

Investment in the recycling equipment & machinery market is accelerating globally. In 2023, over 9,600 new recycling facilities were commissioned, each investing an average of $2.3 million in equipment and infrastructure, translating to a surge of over 22,000 machines installed. Countries such as Germany, the U.S., India, and South Korea have launched more than 37 new funding programs aimed at promoting sustainable waste management through advanced machinery acquisition. For example, India’s National Material Recycling Fund allocated $780 million in 2023 to support machinery upgrades across 320 industrial parks. In the U.S., state-level grants funded over 900 recycling automation projects, boosting equipment sales by 17%.

In private investments, recycling equipment startups attracted over 320 equity financing deals globally in 2023, with the average deal size exceeding $8 million. More than 47% of this investment focused on AI-integrated optical sorters and robotics-enabled material recovery systems. Furthermore, multinational manufacturers spent over $1.9 billion in capital expenditure for upgrading machinery lines with sustainable, energy-efficient components. Demand for mobile recycling plants surged with 6,300 units financed in 2023 under rural electrification and waste-to-energy programs.

Emerging economies have seen a 29% increase in foreign direct investment in recycling equipment sectors. Vietnam added 2,400 units funded by development banks, while Kenya’s smart recycling project received $53 million in international funding to install 1,200 semi-automated balers and extruders. These trends indicate growing global appetite for investing in scalable, efficient, and tech-driven recycling equipment solutions.

New Product Development

The recycling equipment & machinery market is witnessing rapid innovation with over 480 new models launched globally between 2023 and 2024. In the baler segment, manufacturers released more than 150 automatic cross-tie balers capable of compressing up to 2,100 kg/hr, representing a 19% performance improvement over previous models. High-speed granulators with noise-reduction features were also introduced, with over 8,000 units shipped globally. These new units reduce ambient noise by 38% and increase throughput by 21%.

New-generation shredders with modular shaft systems were released in 2023 by multiple manufacturers, featuring 12% higher torque and built-in cooling systems, deployed across 27 countries. Over 2,900 such machines were installed within a single year. Optical sorters received major upgrades, including multispectral imaging and machine learning classification, now enabling a 96% material purity rate. Over 11,500 AI-enhanced optical sorting machines were introduced, equipped with over 256 classification parameters.

Agglomerators also saw a leap in functionality with over 2,200 machines now supporting dual input streams, ideal for LDPE and PP materials. New extruders with energy optimization modules were launched, consuming 28% less power and outputting over 900 kg/hr, and over 1,700 such machines were sold in Southeast Asia alone. Additionally, robotic arms integrated with recycling machines saw deployment growth of 46%, with over 6,300 robots in action by the end of 2023, aiding in dismantling and segregation processes.

Five Recent Developments

• CP Group: launched its AI-integrated CP-9500 optical sorter in Q2 2023, achieving 98% sorting efficiency. Over 600 units were sold in the U.S. and Europe within the first six months.
• Lefort: expanded its production capacity by 40% in Belgium, opening a new manufacturing facility in early 2024 capable of producing 1,200 balers per year, boosting their supply capacity by 2.5 times.
• General Kinematics: released their latest vibrating recycling screens with 32% more throughput, used in over 1,400 new installations across construction waste processing sites.
• Morita Holdings Corporation: launched the MF-880 shredder line with integrated magnetics and real-time diagnostics in 2023, leading to 11% lower downtime across 800 deployed units.
• Forrec Srl: introduced mobile granulator and separator combinations in late 2023, shipping 2,300 mobile units to over 19 countries in the first two quarters of operation.

Report Coverage of Recycling Equipment & Machinery Market

The report on the recycling equipment & machinery market encompasses an exhaustive analysis across multiple dimensions including machinery type, application segments, regional dynamics, and competitive positioning. Covering over 45 countries and 9,000 facilities, the report aggregates data from more than 120 manufacturers and logistics providers. The global inventory of recycling machines exceeds 730,000 units as of 2024, with automated and smart-enabled equipment making up 38% of active systems.

This report evaluates more than 47 equipment categories including balers, granulators, shredders, extruders, and optical sorters. With over 1,300 case studies, it details machinery lifecycles, energy consumption, throughput performance, and digital integration levels. It includes demand assessments from key sectors such as automotive (39 million tons waste recycled), electronics (59 million tons e-waste), and construction (420 million tons of recovered debris). Also analyzed are over 72 government initiatives and 160 private investment programs supporting recycling machinery deployment.

The scope extends to aftermarket trends including spare parts sales (up 17% in 2023), machine refurbishment (growing at 12% annually), and lease-based machinery adoption which now constitutes 23% of new installations. Moreover, the report profiles over 22 major equipment providers and tracks innovation metrics such as patent registrations (over 1,900 filed in 2023) and new product launches (480+ in 2023–24). This extensive coverage delivers valuable insight for OEMs, recyclers, policymakers, and industrial users seeking to optimize waste management infrastructure with efficient, reliable, and forward-compatible machinery.

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