February 2014 Spray 23 25 years & a billion tons of steel recycled… Steel Recycling Institute marks a milestone. More than one billion tons of steel have been recycled by the North American steel industry since 1988, according to the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), a business unit of the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI). SRI marks its 25th anniversary this year with this milestone achievement and the release of the 2012 steel recycling rates. Established in 1988 as the Steel Can Recycling Institute, SRI was commissioned by the North American Steel Industry to develop an infrastructure for the recycling of steel cans and serve as a primary information and technical resource. By 1993, SRI’s focus had expanded beyond just steel cans to promoting and sustaining the recycling of all steel products. Currently, these efforts continue, along with documenting the environmental performance of steel through rigorous life cycle studies. “Since its inception in 1988, SRI has served as a driving force behind growing the availability of a key resource for steelmaking processes—steel scrap,” said Gregory Crawford, Executive Director of SRI. “For a quarter century, SRI has been the local face of the steel industry, providing advocacy, information and assistance in facilitating increases in the recycling of major steel products, including cans, cars, appliances and construction materials.” To track the success of these recycling efforts, each year, the SRI calculates the recycling rates for steel and major steel products. These are generally released up to 18 months following the end of the calendar year, as they are based on data released from AISI Annual Statistical Reports, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste, National Automobile Dealers Association, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. For 2012, the overall recycling rate for steel was 88%, with nearly 84 million tons of steel recycled. This included the more than 1.3 million tons of tin plate steel—the equivalent of 21 billion steel cans, which were recycled at a rate of 72%, the highest among packaging materials. The North American steel industry’s recycling accomplishments are at the core of its other environmental advances. Since 1990, the steel industry has improved its energy efficiency per ton by 27% and has decreased its CO2 emissions per ton by 33%. “The steel industry’s internationally-recognized energy efficiency, coupled with the recycling rate that is the highest of any material, proves our commitment to sustainability and resource conservation,” said Thomas Gibson, President & CEO of AISI. “For 25 years, steel’s recycling successes have been spearheaded by the SRI and we look forward to another quarter century, where steel leads social, economic and environmental advances.” Spray source: SRI 1988-2012 1988-2012 1988-2012
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