This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Sustainability and Steel Recycling
Technical Paper
2001-01-3766
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
The International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) has developed life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools to help understand the benefits of steel recycling. The key themes important to sustainability are that:
- Steel recycling avoids environmental impacts associated with producing steel from virgin material sources;
- The amount of steel which is recycled/reused at end-of-life is crucial to the sustainability of the steel application;
- Whilst all steels contain recycled content, the level has little or no impact on the sustainability of the steel application in a life-cycle context.
There is a misperception that specifying recycled steel is more environmentally friendly than specifying virgin material steel. When looked at in the broader context of sustainability, analysis shows that recycled content is irrelevant providing that the steel is reused or recycled at the end-of-life of the application.
Recommended Content
Technical Paper | The Iron Cycle and Ecodesign in the Automotive Industry |
Ground Vehicle Standard | Recommended Practice to Design for Recycling Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell Systems |
Technical Paper | An Analysis of the Vehicle End-of-Life in the United States |
Authors
Citation
Brimacombe, L., Shonfield, P., and Buridard, M., "Sustainability and Steel Recycling," SAE Technical Paper 2001-01-3766, 2001, https://doi.org/10.4271/2001-01-3766.Also In
References
- International Iron and Steel Institute World Steel Life Cycle Inventory 2000
- Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 18 September 2000
- 1998 Environmental management, Life cycle assessment, Goal and scope definition and inventory analysis