Tearing it up: the nation's shredders have revved their motors back up with the return of higher ferrous scrap prices this year - Auto Shredder List - Directory

Recycling Today, Oct, 2002

Despite a prolonged slump in ferrous scrap pricing that has only recently been snapped, the metals shredding industry is up and running as strong as ever.

Several new installations, the completion of mill expansion projects and the re-start of once idled plants has brought the total number of shredders operating in the U.S. closer to 200.

The 197 operating mills identified by Recycling Today comes closer to matching the 1998 figure of 202 and represents a vast increase over the 185 operating plants identified in 2000. That year, the ferrous scrap industry was reeling from low prices, the after-effects of rapid consolidation and the emergence of the first super-sized shredders that tried to knock out competitors in some regions.

Back in 1998, when the shredder figure for the U.S. first surpassed 200, there were concerns that an overcapacity situation had been reached. It remains to be seen whether a shakeout will occur in some regions that will bring the number of operating shredders back down, or whether the 200 level is one that can be maintained.

Following is a list of U.S. shredder plants (some operating, some idle) being used to shred automobiles and other large ferrous scrap items.