The amazing recyclability of steel

By Abram Pulman & Sons Ltd
schedule11th Jul 17

One of the greatest things about steel is its recyclability. Steel is currently one of the most recyclable materials in the world, and with somewhere around 1.6 billion tonnes of steel being produced each year, the recyclability of this magnificent metal goes a long way to reducing our impact on the planet.

It is estimated that 600 million tonnes of steel is recycled every year, which not only cuts down drastically on the cost of producing steel, but it also reduces the amount of raw materials that are being harvested, refined and burned. Then there would be the issue of waste. Could you imagine if those 600 million tonnes of recyclable steel were to be simply piled into landfills each year?

Steel is 100% recyclable, so it can be recycled an infinite number of times. Currently, most steel products contain around 20% recycled material, so one fifth of the metal in your car or washing machine could have once belonged to something like an ocean liner or even parts from a space shuttle!

So next time you receive a shipment of steel from Pulmans, take a moment to think about how amazing it is that one fifth of your order had a former use – even if it was just an old paint tin, it’s still pretty impressive!