Companies can learn proper environmental habits from steel recycling education and training. Many industries use steel on a daily basis, and learning proper methods for recycling steel cuts the cost of steel materials and helps the environment. Iron and steel recycling makes up 74% of the energy saved from recycling. Steel recycling education and training can teach your staff about various types of steel recycling such as stainless steel recycling and scrap steel recycling.

Many consumers now look for “green” companies and products. The steel recycling industry processes more than 150 million tons of recyclable material each year into raw material feedstock for industrial manufacturing around the world. Using steel recycling education and training in your business allows your company to advertise as a “green” company. When looking for ways to increase your knowledge about how companies are recycling steel, consider the following methods:

1. Conventions and seminars offer up-to-date recycling stainless steel information.

2. Steel recycling institutes offer printed and online educational resources.

3. Steel recycling locations offer advice and help with recycling needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend recycling seminars and conventions for steel recycling education and training

Recycling seminars and conventions offer information pertaining to a variety of recyclable materials. Look for meetings and conferences that offer information about steel recycling for industries. Seminars help business owners understand what types of steel products are recyclable and how to carry out the recycling process.

I recommend: The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries offers an annual convention as well as other meetings and events to train companies about steel recycling. View the site for highlights and guest speaker information. The EPA offers educational courses on recycling materials. View the entire calendar online and look for industrial materials recycling courses.

Search for informative print and website resources on recycled steel

Many recycling organizations and institutes offer educational resources about recycling steel. Visit websites and view these materials to learn more about how your company can enter the recycling world. Look for articles, printable material, statistics, and conference information pertaining to steel recycling.

I recommend: The National Recycling Coalition offers membership advantages to businesses. Gain access to education resource links, newsletters, and other recycling associations. The links vary in age appropriateness. Waste Cap gives readers a list of recyclable steel products, tips for recycling steel, the benefits of steel recycling, and the laws associated with steel recycling.

Use steel recycling mills as resources for learning how to recycle steel

Steel recycling mills are great resources for answering questions about recycling steel and to learn the going price of scrap steel. Use steel recycling mill locators to find steel mills in your area. Contact officials there to learn more about recyclable products and packing and transporting products to recycle.

I recommend: Schnitzer Steel offers a steel recycling mill locator by state. The Steel Recycling Institute offers information about steel recycling locations by ZIP code.

Recycled steel calculates out to more than all other recycled materials, including paper and aluminum, combined. Although many people do not realize it, steel's one of the most recycled materials in the entire world.

Scrap steel provides the largest source of raw material for the entire steel industry. Since steel recycling is such a simple process, you can rest assured you're helping cut down on the amount of waste produced.

1. Gather up the recycled steel products you have available. Over time, your business may have collected a large amount of scrap steel. Get an estimate on the amount of steel recycling materials you'll need to drop off.

2. Learn how to recycle steel and the products accepted by recycling centers. You may come across some steel products which are not eligible for recycling.

3. Locate a steel recycling business or center. Within your area, you should have a local steel recycling center that accepts different products. Inquire about recycling stainless steel items as well.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get the current price of scrap steel

Since you'll want to get a return of your steel, you want to find out the fair market value of scrap steel. Furthermore, look into how much you can make when participating in stainless steel recycling.

I recommend: On Grede, you can find out an estimate on how much you can make from scrap steel recycling. Check back each month for a price update. When recycling stainless steel, use the pricing tables on Metal Prices. This site converts stainless steel scrap by weight into dollar amounts.

Contact a steel recycling business

Not all areas have a plethora of companies that accept recycled steel. Some townships allow you to drop off recycled iron and steel at recycling centers, but you may find this more of a hassle. Use online resources to help you find local steel recycling businesses.

I recommend: On the Steel Recycling Institute's locator page, you need to put in some basic information about your location in order to get referred to a scrap steel recycling facility. You can also find an abundance of resources regarding buying recycled steel on Buy Recycled.

Earn money from scrap steel recycling

Although you may have altruistic reasons to recycle steel, you'll also want to earn money from the endeavor. Work with companies that not only accept your scrap steel, but also pay out well for the material.

I recommend: If you don't want to go through a steel recycling business to sell your scrap or stainless steel recycling products, post an ad on RecycleINMe. This site connects buyers and sellers of scrap recycled materials. You can also sell your steel directly through Apex Pipe.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For future steel purchases, you should consider buying recycled steel products. Not only can you benefit from knowing your items were made from recycling steel cans, but you can also recycle the product again for scrap iron and steel.

Steel is the most recycled material in the United States, with scrap being the most common source of recycled steel. It is far more economical to recycle steel than it is to manufacture it. Therefore, steel-making furnaces have been modified to use scrap. There is a variety of collection programs for steel, and approximately half of the steel in the United States is recycled. The steel recycling infrastructure will continue to grow and increase the amount of steel that is recycled.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Electric arc furnace (EAF)

The EAF process uses an electric current to melt and refine the steel. This process is able to use almost 100-percent recovered steel.

I recommend: SolidWasteDistrict.com summarizes the EAF process in regard to using recovered steel.

Prompt scrap steel

Prompt scrap steel comes directly from the manufacture of new products made of steel. This type of scrap steel is generally made into new steel over a period of months.

I recommend: Sustainable Steel describes the three primary sources of scrap steel, including prompt scrap.

Industrial scrap

Industrial scrap is created as a result of manufacturing processes, usually in the form of sheet cuttings and turnings. This type of scrap may also come from rejects.

I recommend: The Nickel Institute describes the process of recovering each type of scrap, including industrial scrap.

Basic oxygen furnace (BOF)

A BOF uses a blast furnace and very pure oxygen to recycle steel. This process is able to use 25- to 35-percent recycled steel.

I recommend: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides a description of the BOF process as it pertains to recycling steel.

Home scrap

Home scrap comes directly from the foundry, mill or refinery. It can usually be re-melted and used to make new steel without leaving the plant.

I recommend: TheMetalCasting.com provides an industry overview of the steel recycling process. This site describes the various types of steel scrap, such as home scrap.

Balers

Balers are devices that arrange steel containers, such as cans, into a desired size and shape so they can be recycled. Local markets may not require these items to be baled to any particular specification, as they may accept loose containers. The steel industry, however, may require bales to be in a specific size and shape.

I recommend: The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality describes the use of various devices, such as balers, that prepare steel containers for recycling.