FERROUS METAL

Scrap metal is divided into two types: ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous scrap is scrap iron and steel. This includes scrap from old cars, household appliances, steel beams, railroad tracks, ships, food packaging and other containers. Ferrous metal is magnetic where as non-ferrous metal is not magnetic.

Steel Recycling

Steel is mined from iron ore.

Iron ore is plentiful but it too is usually combined with oxygen or sometimes carbon or sulphur. The iron ore is stripped in a blast furnace to reduce it to pig iron that can then be used in steel production.

There are currently about 11 Million tons per year of iron and steel scrap. About 70% of this scrap is recovered. Of the remainder - 2/3 is landfill.

Every tonne of steel recycled makes the following environmental savings:

1.5 tonnes of iron ore
0.5 tonnes of coal
40% of the water required in production
75% of the energy needed to make steel from virgin material
1.28 tonnes of solid waste Reduction of air emissions by 86%
Reduction of water pollution by 76%