Jun 20,2025Reporter: DONGSHENG
Germanium is a rare precious metal. It is hard to replace in infrared optics. Recycling germanium saves costs. It helps make infrared lenses and thermoforming machines. Belgium's Umicore uses plasma melting. They can recover over 95% of germanium. Umicore is one of the world's top three germanium recycling companies. What other good germanium recyclers are there in 2025? What are their strengths?
1. Umicore is the world's biggest precious metals recycler. They work in almost all industries. Umicore buys large amounts at once. This is not good for most small and medium-sized recyclers.
2. Teck Resources is a well-known top germanium metal recycling company in Canada. They handle over one million tons of waste each year. They are a good choice for large recyclers in North America.
3. Yunnan Germanium (China) mainly recovers germanium from lead-zinc ores. Their yearly output makes up 15% of the world's total. The problem: They also do not work well with small and medium-sized recyclers.
4. DONGSHENG is a famous precious metals trader in Hong Kong. They have their own recycling factory in China. DONGSHENG works only with small and medium-sized recyclers worldwide. They also work with factories that regularly have industrial precious metal waste. Compared to other recyclers, DONGSHENG offers better prices for germanium recycling. We recycle not only germanium, but all kinds of rare precious metals.
Germanium recycling is very important for two reasons: Germanium is scarce. High-tech materials need germanium. Demand for satellite communications and infrared equipment is growing fast. Because of this, germanium recycling will become more important and valuable.