What Are the Benefits of Recycling Steel?

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There are numerous benefits to recycling steel. Because it is the most recycled material on Earth, there is a strong probability that you use recycled steel every day, whether it’s in the car you drive or to package the food you consume.

1 Saving Energy and Resources

Recycling steel reduces the consumption of other valuable resources. Every ton of recycled steel saves 1.5 tons of iron ore, .5 tons of coal and 40 percent of the water normally used in the production process. This also means less energy used to mine these other resources.

2 Fewer Landfills

A greater amount of recycled steel translates to less space used in landfills. Ultimately, this means fewer landfills, a more pristine environment and less health concerns.

3 Strength of Steel

Steel can be recycled over and over again without losing its innate strength. Therefore, because it retains its natural qualities, recycled steel can be used in everything from construction to household appliances.

4 Ease of Recycling

Steel is one of the most easily-recycled materials on Earth. Unlike other materials, it does not need to be sorted by color or size. Rather, it is simply picked up by a magnet and melted down.

5 Scrap

The production of new steel requires the use of scrap steel. In fact, up to 25 percent of scrap steel is necessary for the production of new steel.

Arthur Barnhouse has written numerous short stories, contributed content to various websites and was an invited speaker at a university symposium on creative writing. He began writing in 2002 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Barnhouse has driven across the United States numerous times and draws upon his travel experiences in his writing.

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