Steel Recycling

Worldwide, it is estimated that 90% of steel from demolition sites goes to recycling back to the steel mills. Recycling is often used as a generic term referring to re-use, refurbishment and materials recycling. More specifically, recycling refers to the process of collecting and separating materials from waste and their subsequent reprocessing for a new use.

Steel is inherently recyclable and retains virtually all of its physical properties after recycling. Therefore, scrap steel has a relatively high economic value and a well established infrastructure and international markets for the recovery and reprocessing of scrap metal construction products throughout the world.

Each tonne of recycled steel saves 1,100 kg of iron ore, 600 kg of coal, and 50 kg of limestone. The AIA Environmental Resource Guide also states that every kilogram of steel produced from recycled sources rather than raw materials saves 12.5 MJ of energy. Furthermore, 47% less oil is used; 86% less emissions to air are produced; 76% less water is contaminated; 40% less water is used; and 97% less mining waste is created. In North America over 76 million tonnes of steel was sent to recycling in 2004, and worldwide, over 400 million tonnes of steel were recycled in 2001.

Therefore, architects and engineers need to specify steel with a high recycled content in construction. It is important to make sure that the steel fabricator is aware of this as soon as possible as this may influence purchasing and pricing.