Driven by China’s “dual carbon” goals and resource security concerns, the efficient recycling of high-value alloy scrap is becoming a key focus for the special steel industry to reduce costs and achieve green transformation. On June 25, the 5th Alloy Scrap Supply-Demand Resource Matching Conference was held in Hangzhou, drawing nearly 200 participants from special steel producers, scrap processors, and trading companies to discuss solutions to critical bottlenecks in the industrial chain.
The conference noted that compliant, high-quality alloy scrap, as a form of “urban mining,” offers significant benefits. Its effective use can substantially lower smelting energy consumption and carbon emissions (electric arc furnace routes can reduce emissions by about 70%), while also reducing reliance on imported strategic resources like nickel and chromium. However, the industry currently faces three major obstacles: a rudimentary sorting and recycling system that often downgrades valuable scrap; technological limits in removing harmful elements like copper and tin for high-end applications; and a lack of unified standards and traceability systems, which erodes trust between suppliers and buyers.
To address these issues, the conference reached a consensus centered on “digitalization, green practices, and greater collaboration.” The China Special Steel Association proposed establishing a full-lifecycle digital record for scrap, using QR code identification and smart sorting to ensure full traceability from collection to delivery. Additionally, the industry called on upstream and downstream players to shift from short-term trading to long-term strategic partnerships, using annual framework agreements and joint quality control to build a more stable, risk-sharing supply chain.
Attendees agreed that with tightening environmental and tax oversight, informal practices will be phased out. Ultimately, only by upholding compliance, accelerating technological upgrades, and deepening industrial collaboration can the full resource value of alloy scrap be realized, laying a solid green foundation for the high-quality development of China’s special steel sector.
