Benefits of Recycling
A steel mill using scrap iron and steel in place of virgin iron ore to make a new product gives the public outstanding value. The new product is comparable in performance to a similar product made from virgin iron ore and its manufacturing process offers fewer risks to the environment.
- Energy savings 75%
- Savings in virgin materials use 90%
- Reduction in air pollution 86%
- Reduction in water use 40%
- Reduction in water pollution 76%
- Reduction in mining wastes 97%
- Reduction in consumer wastes 105%
Every tonne of new steel made from scrap steel saves:
- 1,115 kg of iron ore,
- 625kg of coal, and
- 53kg of limestone.
In a ‘greenhouse’ gas constrained future, energy is one of the most important benefits of metal recycling.
Savings from recycling other metals include:
- Aluminium 95%
- Copper 85%
- Lead 65%
- Zinc 60%
Recycling conserves ever-diminishing landfill space and the surface biodiversity destroyed in mining of new raw materials from the ground. It closes the resources loop ensuring valuable resources are not lost, but are put to back into good use. The metals made from these ‘secondary resources’ then make much less impact in the remanufacturing process the second time around. Recycling is a true example of a ‘sustainable’ industry – a concept fundamental to our society’s drive to reduce its environmental impact on the planet.
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