|
By Staci Matlock, ConnectPress Staff Writer
All over the world, steel is a popular and wide spread building material but how green is this long lasting and sturdy building material? Bright green if you were to ask the Steel Recycling Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A good chunk, more than 60 percent, of steel has been recycled every year since 1988, according to the Steel Recycling Institute. In 2006, more than 70 million tons of steel was recycled in just the U.S. The steel is from old buildings, appliances, cars and more. More steel is recycled each year than aluminum, paper, glass and plastic combined, according to the industry.
SRI, a division of the American Iron and Steel Institute, reports various emissions have dropped from steel production as well. Greenhouse gas emissions from shipped steel have decreased by 45 percent in the last three decades. Air and water emissions are reportedly 90 percent lower than a decade ago. And, especially important for water short areas, about 95 percent of water used for steel production is now recycled.
In October, the U.S. EPA released its 2008 sector performance report which found the steel industry had the sharpest total emissions decline among nine manufacturing sectors. According to the EPA, the steel industry reduced total normalized and absolute air emissions by 67 percent between 1996 and 2005. In the same period, production levels remained steady.
“Despite rising production and product values in the steel industry during this period, emissions dropped as a result of new steel plant technologies and greater operational and control efficiencies,” Tom Tyler, EPA’s national sector leader for iron and steel, said after the report was released.
The EPA sector performance report analyzed cement, chemicals, food and beverages, forest products, metal castings, paint and coatings, refined petroleum, ships, and iron and steel. According to the report, these industries represent about 35 percent of total air emissions reported to the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory.
LEED, the U.S. Green Building Council’s certification system, recognizes the green properties of steel besides just its recycled content. Since steel is solid it can help create a solid, air tight building envelope. It is made to order for construction, thereby reducing waste. The USGBC last year produced a paper regarding steel and LEED certification. Find out how steel is rated under LEED at www.aisc.org/sustainability
In November, SRI announced its support of a Habitat for Humanity program called Cars for Homes. Cars have about the highest recycling rate for steel, almost 100 percent. The 14 million tons of steel recycled from old trucks and cars every year is enough to build 45,000 steel-framed homes and save the energy equivalent to powering 18 million houses. Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer organization that provides homes for low-income families who put sweat equity into building their own houses and then help with construction of other homes.
Marcia Rundle, director of Cars for HomesTM, Habitat’s national vehicle donation program said the organization is happy for SRI’s support. “By donating an old car, truck, boat or RV to Habitat’s Cars for HomesTM program, individuals help save energy and natural resources and provide funds to build affordable homes with families all across this country,” Rundle said when SRI announced the partnership.
SRI has incorporated the Habitat for Humanity car donation program into its Steel Recycling Locator data base, which is used by hundreds of consumers to locate recycling places. (www.recycle-steel.org) The Steel Recycling Locator lists more than 30,000 national and local steel recycling sites.
For more information about SRI, see http://www.recycle-steel.org/
|
