Elg Group

What Elg Group does

ELG Group, founded in 1962 in Duisburg, Germany, is a global metal recycling company operating as Aperam Recycling since its December 2021 acquisition by Luxembourg-based steel producer Aperam S.A. for EUR 357 million enterprise value. The company purchases stainless steel scrap, nickel-, cobalt-, and titanium-based superalloys, and melting-shop residues from a global base of 4,000+ suppliers, then processes and resells these as high-purity secondary raw materials to industrial customers. It operates 50+ owned processing and trading sites across 18 countries on 5 continents and processes approximately 1.1 million tonnes of recycled material annually.

The company's three core business lines are ELG Metals (now Aperam Recycling Stainless) for stainless steel scrap, ELG Utica Alloys (now Aperam Recycling Advanced Metals) for aerospace-grade superalloys and titanium, and Recyco for electric-arc-furnace dust and sludge recovery. Core technology centers on precision material analysis — Spectro spectrometers, XRF/LIBS handheld analyzers (via partnership with SciAps), mechanical and manual separation, and radioactivity detection — producing specification-grade secondary raw materials that feed back into Aperam's integrated steel plants and external mills. The subsidiary Recyco processes over 61,000 tonnes of dust annually, recovering roughly 25,000 tonnes of ferro-alloys.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based margins between scrap purchase prices and processed resale prices, with pricing linked to exchange/bourse values for stainless steel and negotiated per lot for higher-value superalloys. ELG distributes directly to enterprise customers — global steel mills, foundries, specialty alloy producers, and aerospace manufacturers — through relationship-driven key-account sales and 24/7 site operations, with no intermediary distribution layer. The company reports under Aperam's Recycling & Renewables segment alongside Recyco and BioEnergia, and has been consolidating its identity under the unified Aperam Recycling brand throughout 2025–2026, including legal entity renaming in the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Name

Elg Group

Legal name

ELG GmbH

Website

https://elgmetals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ELG Group (operating as Aperam Recycling) is a global metal recycling company that processes 1.1 million tons annually of stainless steel scrap and aerospace-grade superalloys across 50+ sites in 18 countries, serving steel mills, foundries, and aerospace manufacturers as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aperam S.A.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Metal Recycling Services

NAICS

Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492), Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers (42393), Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing (331110)

SIC

Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Stainless Steel & High-Temperature Alloy Scrap (Stainless, Inconel, Titanium, Specialty Alloys) (IMAKAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metals Recycling & Processing (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (BPALADAF), Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ), Scrap Collection, Brokerage & Trading (Dealers, Aggregators, Exporters) (EUAIAJAH)

Keywords

• Stainless steel scrap recycling
• Superalloy recycling services
• Titanium scrap processing
• Secondary raw materials supply
• Industrial metal recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Duisburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices43 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Purchase and Sale of Stainless Steel Scrap: ELG purchases stainless steel scrap from over 4,000 suppliers globally, processes it to precise metallurgical and physical specifications, and sells it as ready-to-use secondary raw material to steel mills worldwide. Revenue is generated through the margin between purchase and sale prices, with pricing linked to current exchange/bourse values.
2. Superalloy and Titanium Revert Management: ELG Utica Alloys acquires aerospace manufacturing scrap (nickel-, cobalt-, titanium-based alloys), processes it to precise customer specifications, and sells it back to aerospace manufacturers and specialty alloy producers. Revenue is derived from processing fees and material margin on high-value superalloys.
3. Recyco — Melting Shop Dust and Sludge Processing: Recyco recovers metallic content from electric arc furnace dust and sludge, producing ferro-alloys (nickel, molybdenum, chromium) that are sold back to steel plants as raw material inputs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ELG Group (Aperam Recycling) purchases stainless steel scrap and superalloy revert (nickel-, cobalt-, and titanium-based alloys) from over 4,000 global suppliers, processes the materials to precise metallurgical and physical specifications at 50+ facilities across 18 countries, and sells the resulting secondary raw materials directly to steel mills, foundries, and aerospace manufacturers. Recyco, part of the same group, recovers metallic content from melting shop dust and sludge for reuse in steel plants.

Product overview

Elg Group operates as Aperam Recycling, a global leader in metal recycling with three core divisions: ELG Metals/Aperam Recycling Stainless (stainless steel scrap recycling), ELG Utica Alloys/Aperam Recycling Advanced Metals (superalloy and titanium recycling for aerospace), and Recyco (dust and sludge recycling). The company processes approximately 1.1 million tonnes of recycled materials annually through 50 locations across 18 countries. Products include stainless steel scrap, nickel-based superalloys, titanium alloys, cobalt alloys, hard metals, tool steels, and ferro-alloys. Services span purchasing, analysis, processing, and global trading of secondary raw materials for stainless steel production, aerospace, energy, and industrial manufacturing sectors. The company operates a closed-loop circular economy model, returning high-quality secondary raw materials to the market in exact compositions required by customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Recyco: Business focused on recovering valuable metallic contents from melting shop dust and sludge, part of Aperam Recycling division.
• ELG Utica Alloys

Products and services

• ELG Metals / Aperam Recycling Stainless Core division for trading, processing and recycling of stainless steel scrap and residues. Processes nickel-chrome and molybdenum bearing scrap to deliver sustainable secondary raw materials in exact metallurgical composition for stainless steel mills and foundries globally.
• ELG Utica Alloys / Aperam Recycling Advanced Metals Revert management and recycling of nickel-, cobalt-, and titanium-based superalloys primarily for aerospace manufacturers, oil & gas, and energy industries. Operates globally across 8 sites in the USA, UK, Germany, France, South Africa, Japan, and Singapore.
• Recyco Recovery and treatment of metallic content from melting shop dust and sludge. Processes over 61,000 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust annually at Isbergues, France, recovering approximately 25,000 tonnes of ferro-alloys (nickel, molybdenum, chromium) for reuse in steel plants.
• Stainless Steel Scrap Processing Service Purchase, analysis, sorting, and processing of stainless steel scrap including production waste and old scrap. Delivers ready-to-use secondary raw materials in exact metallurgical composition required by industrial customers worldwide.
• Superalloy Processing Service Processing of nickel-based alloys, titanium alloys, cobalt alloys, hard metals, high-speed steels, tool steels, and nickel-copper alloys. Includes closed-loop revert management for aerospace industry customers requiring strict specification compliance and traceability.
• Raw Materials Trading Global trading of recycled raw materials including cobalt, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, tantalum, vanadium, tungsten, and chromium. Serves over 4,000 suppliers through 50 global locations, with pricing linked to current exchange/bourse values.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 140,000 t CO2e avoided or accounted for in 2021 (123 t CO2e per employee). Each recycled tonne of stainless steel and superalloy significantly reduces the CO2 footprint of the end product compared to primary raw material use.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• NASCAR (Watkins Glen International)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 May 2026Aperam Recycling's co-branding partnership with NASCAR for the O'Reilly Series race at Watkins Glen on May 9, 2026. The #39 car featured the new Aperam Recycling brand identity as part of the North American brand integration and US market visibility campaign.
• SciAps, Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2026Co-branding partnership with Boston-based precision technology company SciAps, Inc. for the NASCAR Watkins Glen race (May 9, 2026). SciAps provides handheld XRF and LIBS analyzers (X-550 with Alloy+ and Cloud+) for high-speed alloy identification and material verification at ELG's US operations.
• Iberinox Recycling Plus, S.L.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 September 2018Joint venture between ELG Haniel (30%) and Iberinox (70%), formed in September 2018 with antitrust approval from the European Commission. Operates stainless steel recycling facilities in Basauri, S. Feliu de Llobregat, Madrid, and San Roque, Spain. Strengthens ELG's strategic development in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula.
• RecycocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecyco is an integral part of Aperam Recycling, focused on recovering metallic content from melting shop dust and sludge. Based in Isbergues, France, it processes over 61,000 tonnes of dust annually, recovering ~25,000 tonnes of ferro-alloys for Aperam's Belgian steel plants. Together with ELG, Recyco forms the Aperam Recycling division.
• BioEnergiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Aperam's Recycling & Renewables segment alongside ELG and Recyco. BioEnergia is one of the world's largest biocharcoal producers, operating a 150,000 ha FSC-certified eucalyptus forest in Brazil. Provides charcoal to Aperam's Brazilian steel plant in Timóteo.
• UN Global CompactsupportingOthersELG recognizes and commits to the 10 Principles of the United Nations Global Compact for responsible business conduct, covering human rights, labor conditions, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.
• Gerald Asamoah FoundationminorOthersAperam Recycling donated €5,000 to the Gerald Asamoah Foundation in December 2025, supporting life-saving heart surgeries for children in Ghana. The donation was presented by Head of Commercial Germany Alexander Turra, who has a personal connection to the foundation.
• Research Institutions and UniversitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerELG cooperates with research institutions, universities, and major technical equipment manufacturers to develop and invest in cutting-edge recycling technologies, ensuring continuously high quality standards for secondary raw materials.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Acerinox: Spanish-headquartered global stainless steel producer with integrated scrap consumption and recycling interests (including via NAS stainless operations). Comparable as a broad stainless steel incumbent that both consumes recycled stainless feedstock and competes in adjacent recycling activities; also co-owner (via Iberinox) of ELG's Iberian joint venture.
• Outokumpu: Finnish-headquartered global stainless steel producer with integrated stainless scrap recycling operations (Outokumpu Americas, Europe). Comparable as an integrated stainless producer-cum-recycler with overlap on the demand side (as ELG customer) and broad incumbent competition on the recycling supply side.

Direct peers

• Kuusakoski: Finnish-headquartered metal recycler with strong presence in Northern and Central Europe. Direct peer in stainless and specialty alloy recycling, serving similar steel mill and industrial customers with comparable processing capabilities and Pan-European footprint.
• Hensel Recycling Group: German specialty metals recycler focused on high-temperature alloys, superalloys, and hard metals with aerospace and industrial customers. Highly comparable to ELG Utica Alloys' superalloy/titanium revert management business, serving overlapping aerospace OEM customer base.
• Radius Recycling (formerly Schnitzer Steel): US-based publicly-listed metal recycler with deep North American ferrous and non-ferrous scrap operations. Comparable as a large-scale metals recycler serving steel mills, though heavier in automotive/ferrous shredding than ELG's specialty stainless/superalloy focus.
• EMR Group: UK-based global metal recycler operating across ferrous and non-ferrous scrap with extensive European and US operations. Comparable as a multinational scrap metal processor with similar industrial customer base (steel mills, foundries), though broader in scope than ELG's specialty focus.
• AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group: Netherlands-headquartered specialty metals producer with significant recycling and refining of ferro-alloys and critical metals. Direct comparable in specialty alloy processing and closed-loop recycling, particularly overlapping with ELG's Recyco ferro-alloy recovery and high-temperature alloy activities.
• Sims Metal Management: Global publicly-listed scrap metal recycler with operations across North America, Australia, UK and Europe. Comparable as a large-scale metals recycling competitor serving steel mills and industrial customers, though more weighted to ferrous and electronics recycling than ELG's specialty stainless/superalloy focus.
• Cronimet Holding: Germany-headquartered global scrap metal trader and recycler focused on stainless steel, superalloys, and specialty metals. Direct competitor to ELG across stainless and high-temperature alloy scrap trading and processing, with comparable global footprint and aerospace/aerospace-grade supplier relationships.

Emerging players

• Aeromet International: UK-based specialist recycler of titanium and high-temperature aerospace alloys serving aerospace OEMs. Highly comparable to ELG Utica Alloys' titanium and superalloy revert management business, with overlapping aerospace customer base but smaller global footprint than ELG's 8-site superalloy network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elf-exploration-production

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Elg Group