Steel The Sustainable Material

About Steel

Steel is derived from iron ore, a natural substance obtained from the earth itself and hence, has no environmental impact on the earth.

Steel is the most widely recycled material in the World. The steel industry has been actively recycling for more than 50 years.

Zinc is one of the few materials that can be recycled indefinitely. Approximately 30% of the zinc produced globally comes from recycling. The only reason this figure isn't higher is because the durability of galvanized steel and other zinc products means they remain in service for much longer and therefore have not been returned yet. 80% of the zinc available for recycling is recycled.

Today, steel is one of the most common materials in the world and is a major component in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, machines, and appliances.

Steel, the sustainable material

Steel is a uniquely sustainable material because once it is made it can be used, as steel, forever. Steel is infinitely recycled, so the investment in making steel is never wasted and can be capitalized on by future generations. Steel is a material that is used, not consumed. Hence, the investment of resources in making steel is not wasted. Steel can uniquely claim to be the only truly recyclable material because when steel is recycled, there is no down-grading. The steel recycling loop is a true closed loop. It is recycled and used again, without any loss of quality, time after time. Only truly recycled materials, which are never down-graded, but are used again and again with no loss of properties, can enable a sustainable future. The non-renewable resources used to make steel, like minerals and fossil fuels, are not wasted because the steel will be used forever. This is truly sustainable.

A sustainable future for steel

In the sustainable future, new economic models will maximise the value of raw materials by encouraging practices such as reuse and remanufacturing. The weight of many steel products will be reduced, losses will be minimised, and the already high recycling rate for steel will increase, resulting in more recycled steel to make new steel products.

All About Steel

  • Steel is world's most recycled material.
  • Steel is very friendly to the environment.
  • The life cycle of steel is potentially continuous as its properties remain unchanged no matter how many times you recycle it.
  • Steel possesses great durability, and, compared to other materials, requires relatively low amounts of energy to produce.
  • The steel industry has made immense efforts to limit environmental pollution in the last decades. Energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by one-half of what they were in the 1960s. Dust emissions have been reduced by even more.
  • Almost 65% of new steel is today produced from old steel.
  • The recycling rate of steel depends on the end-use, but on average around 85% of steel, at the end of its first useful life, is recycled.
  • Over 99% of steel from scrap cars is recycled.
  • A UK study showed that 94% of steel is recycled when a building is demolished.
  • 99% of structural steel is recycled or re-used when a building is demolished.
  • In Europe, over 70% of steel packaging is recycled, which is far more than any other packaging material.
  • The world's average steel consumption is 229 kg per capita (for 2019).
  • The Steel consumption of China is 633 kg per capita (for 2019).
  • The Steel consumption of USA is 297 kg per capita (for 2019).
  • The Steel consumption of Pakistan is 46 kg per capita (estimated for 2019).

STEEL - THE PERMANENT MATERIAL IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Decreasing the amount of material, energy and other resources used to create steel and reducing the weight of steel used in products

Reuse is using an object or material again, either for its original purpose or for a similar purpose, without significantly altering the physical form of the object or material.

The process of restoring durable used steel products to as-new condition.

Melting steel products at the end of their useful life to create new steels. Recycling alters the physical form of the steel object so that a new application can be created from the recycled material.

Steel markets and durability

Whether it is for transport systems, infrastructure, housing, manufacturing, agriculture, or energy, steel is a vital material in our modern world. In applications with a long service life, we will need to wait a hundred years or more to recycle the steel they contain. But every piece of steel can eventually be recycled to meet the growing global need for new steel.

Steel in the circular economy

A sustainable circular economy is one in which society reduces the burden on nature by ensuring resources remain in use for as long as possible. As a permanent material, steel is fundamental to achieving a circular economy. It is easy to reduce the weight of steel products, and steel components can be effectively reused, remanufactured, or recycled.

REDUCE

Decreasing the amount of material, energy and other resources used to create steel and reducing the weight of steel used in products. Reduce in steel applications

Over the past 50 years, the steel industry has invested in research and technology to create new grades of advanced and ultra-high-strength steels. These grades have reduced the weight of many steel applications by up to 40%. Optimising the weight of products is an integral part of a circular economy.

The industry has also dramatically reduced the use of energy. Producing one tonne of steel today requires just 40% of the energy it did in 1960. Over the same period, steel production has increased almost five times.

Reuse is using an object or material again, either for its original purpose or for a similar purpose, without significantly altering the physical form of the object or material.

In a fully circular economy, the reuse of a manufactured product is considered in the earliest design phases of its creation. This allows both small- and large-scale products to be repurposed for another use quickly and efficiently once their initial use is fulfilled.

Today, almost every by-product formed during steelmaking is used in new products. This approach minimises the amount of waste sent to landfill, reduces emissions, and preserves raw materials

REMANUFACTURE

The process of restoring durable used steel products to as-new condition. Remanufacture of steel applications: Wind turbine

In a truly circular economy, products which stop working are restored to as-new condition in a process known as remanufacturing. Many steel products such as construction and farm machinery, truck and car engines, electrical motors, domestic appliances, and wind turbines are already remanufactured. Remanufacturing takes advantage of the durability of steel components and guarantees that the energy used to create the components is preserved.

RECYCLE

Melting steel products at the end of their useful life to create new steels. Recycling alters the physical form of the steel object so that a new application can be created from the recycled material. Steel recycling: Attributes and benefits.

Steel has been recycled ever since it was first made. All available steel scrap is recycled, over and over again to create new steel products in a closed material loop. Recycled steel maintains the inherent properties of the original steel