It's not indium.
As a technologist, my first reaction to the title of this post was, “What do you mean by 'most'?” Well, let’s assume we are discussing the metal that has both the highest volume of recycling and the highest % of recycling. The answer seems to be steel. I’m no expert in the steel industry, but here are some good resources on the subject:
- Here is an interesting infographic on steel recycling; a quick reference on the subject.
- For a more in-depth look at the life cycle of steel, here is a paper entitled “Steel in the Circular Economy” by the World Steel Association.
Indium Corporation focuses on recycling – specifically indium reclaim. We take in materials such as spent ITO, IZO, and GIZO targets, used indium bonding scrap, and worn out cryogenic seals. A large amount of the indium entering the market every year comes from recycling, and we are proud to be part of that loop.
If you have indium that could be repurposed, please contact us at indiumreclaim@indium.com.