旧船解体业俗称拆船业，是将船只拆毁的工业，大部份的船只废料皆可循环再用（泛指钢铁船只）。由于船舶是一种综合性工业，拆解后的再生资源包括：旧船板约占50％，废钢约占32％，铣铁约占13％，机件约占2％，废铜、合金铜约占 2％，废非金属约占1％。拆船业所带动的相关行业则包括：钢铁业、拖船业、清舱业、瓦斯业、氧气业、金属制品业、建筑业、运输业、保险业、银行业、炼油业、电子业、营建业、估物业等。因为**的矿砂含铁量在20％以下，离含铁量60％以上才有开发价值的标准差距甚大。因此早期**的钢铁原料，不是取决于本地的废铁，就需仰赖国外进口废钢。

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for either a source of parts, which can be sold for re-use, or for the extraction of raw materials, chiefly scrap. It may also be known as ship dismantling, ship cracking, ship recycling, or ship disposal. Modern ships have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years before corrosion, metal fatigue and a lack of parts render them uneconomical to run. Ship breaking allows the materials from the ship, especially steel, to be recycled and made into new products. This lowers the demand for mined iron ore and reduces energy use in the steel-making process. Equipment on board the vessel can also be reused. While ship breaking is, in theory, sustainable, there are concerns about the use of poorer countries without stringent environmental legislation. It is also considered one of the world's most dangerous industries and very labour-intensive.