Think Globally
Facts About Steel Recycling
- Each year, North America recycles more steel than aluminum, glass, paper and plastic combined
- Americans use 100 million steel cans every day
- The steel industry has been recycling for over 150 years
- The steel industry’s largest source of raw material is scrap metal, which is commonly collected by recycling steel
- Recycling steel saves 75 percent of the energy that would be used to create steel from raw materials, enough to power 18 million homes
- Over 65 percent of the steel produced in the U.S. is recycled into new steel every year
- A ton of recycled steel saves 2500 pounds of iron ore, 1400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone, since they are the raw materials for making new steel
- A steel frame for a 2,000 square-foot two-story house is equivalent to the material of about six recycled cars; a comparable wooden frame would take over 40 trees to produce
- A typical household appliance (also known as a “white good”) is produced using approximately 65 percent steel
- Steel cans contain at least 25 percent recycled steel, with many nearly 100 percent recycled content
Source: Steel Recycling Institute