Standard: ISRI / ReMA Scrap Specifications Circular · EU-27 Steel Scrap Specification (EFR / EUROFER)
Scrap is bought and sold by grade, and the grade describes where the scrap came from, how thick and how big the pieces are, how it has been prepared and what it must not contain. Two systems dominate world trade: the Scrap Specifications Circular of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI — renamed the Recycled Materials Association, ReMA, in 2024), used for American exports and in deep-sea trade generally, and the European steel scrap specification, used inside Europe.
The grades in the two systems were written separately and do not match exactly; the right-hand column gives the closest European category. Contracts normally name the system and grade and add their own limits (for example a maximum copper content) — the table is a guide to the names, not a substitute for the specification.
| Trade name | ISRI code | Description | Closest EU-27 category |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS 1 (No. 1 heavy melting steel) | 200, 201, 202 | Wrought iron and steel ¼ in (6.35 mm) and thicker, cut to charging size; the three codes differ in the maximum piece size | E3 — old thick scrap, over 6 mm |
| HMS 2 (No. 2 heavy melting steel) | 203–206 | Wrought iron and steel, black and galvanized, ⅛ in (3.2 mm) and thicker, cut to charging size; lighter and more mixed than HMS 1 | E1 — old thin scrap, under 6 mm |
| HMS 1&2 (80:20, 70:30…) | – | A trade mixture of HMS 1 and HMS 2 in the stated proportion; HMS 80:20 CFR Turkey is the world's benchmark scrap price | E3 / E1 mix |
| Shredded scrap | 210, 211 | Homogeneous iron and steel, magnetically separated, from automobile shredders; the two codes differ in density | E40 — shredded scrap |
| No. 1 busheling | 207 | Clean new steel scrap such as factory clippings and stampings, small pieces, uncoated | E8 — new thin production scrap |
| No. 1 bundles | 208 | New black (uncoated) steel sheet scrap, clippings and skeleton, pressed into bundles of charging-box size | E6 — new thin scrap, compressed |
| No. 2 bundles | 209 | Old black and galvanized sheet scrap, pressed into bundles of charging-box size | E6 (old-sheet quality) |
| Plate & structural (P&S) | – | Cut plate, beams and other heavy sections; buyers specify thickness and maximum size (for example 5 ft × 2 ft, ¼ in and over) | E2 — new thick scrap, over 3 mm (when from production) |
| Turnings and borings | – | Machine-shop turnings, free of excessive oil and non-ferrous metal | E5H (homogeneous) / E5M (mixed) |
| Rebar and merchant bar scrap | – | Reinforcing bar and bar offcuts; high in copper and other residuals | EHRB |
| Cast iron scrap | – | Machinery and cupola cast, broken to size; graded separately because of its high carbon | — |
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