Steel Recycling

Steel is a metal alloy, a combination of metals that consists mostly of iron.  Some of the first steel came from East Africa, dating back to 1400 BC.  Prior to the 19th century, steel production methods were very inefficient.  Mass production of steel become a reality when a new process was discovered that keeps the metal molten, or melted.  This process is called the Bessemer Process.

Today, steel cans are many times referred to as “Tin cans” even though they are only 5% tin.  The majority of the can is actually steel.  This small amount of tin is essential because it protects the contents of the can from rust. Today, we can produce new steel from old steel cans, in one of the most efficient recycling processes.

The cycle begins when you put your steel can into your recycling container.  Your steel can travel to a Material Recovery Facility or MRF.  The can goes across a sorting line where it is pulled out by a strong magnet.  These steel cans are then crushed into large bales and shipped to a metal foundry.

The cans must go through a detinning process in which chemicals remove the tin from the steel.  Once the tin is removed, the steel is ready to be melted down and made into new products.

Steel is the most versatile of all the recyclable materials collected from your recycling container.  Steel cans can become new cans, street signs or even parts of a new car.

Did you know?

• Enough steel is thrown away each year to build all the cars in America.
  
• Americans use nearly 100,000,000 steel cans per day.
  
• Recycling steel requires only 25% of the energy, 25% of the water and produces only 25% of the air emissions compared to processing new steel materials.