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Sustainability / Environment

At Schnitzer Steel, our business model and our corporate culture is based on sustainability and devoted to being the best stewards of the environment we can possibly be.

Sustainability and the Environment photo

Our three vertically integrated businesses take obsolete machinery and end-of-life cars and recycle their metal so it can be used to create new finished steel products. Consider the following benefits:

  • By using recycled metals, the steel industry saves enough energy each year to power 18 million households 1
  • Recycling one ton of steel conserves: 2
    • 2,500 pounds of iron ore
    • 1,400 pounds of coal
    • 120 pounds of limestone
  • Using recycled iron and steel instead of virgin ore to make new steel results in: 3
    • 74% savings in energy
    • 90% savings in virgin materials use
    • 40% reduction in water use
    • 97% reduction in mining wastes
EnvirSustainability and the Environment photoonment

However, our forward-thinking management and employees take it a step further in constantly adopting innovative ways to reduce our environmental footprint. The following pages offer some examples of how Schnitzer Steel continues to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and the environment.


1 Steel Recycling Institute
2 Steel Recycling Institute
3 Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc
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