Current steel making technologies in North America produce steel in two ways: the basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and the electric arc furnace (EAF). Both processes require old steel to make new. Unlike other competing industries, recycling in the steel industry is second nature and has been for more than 100 years. The collection and recycling of scrap steel is a vital part of the steel production process.
The recycled content numbers for steel given below are taken from a publication of the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) titled “Steel Takes LEED® with Recycled Content” dated October 2012. Click on one of the links provided to download a copy of the bulletin or to go to the SRI web site for additional information.
Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF)
The total recycled content to produce the raw steel in the BOF is = 36.9%
(Total Tons Ferrous Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
The post-consumer recycled content is = 19.8%
(Post-Consumer Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
The pre-consumer recycled content is = 14.4%
(Pre-Consumer Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)
The total recycled content to produce the raw steel in the EAF is = 89.89%
(Total Tons Ferrous Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
The post-consumer recycled content is = 69.0%
(Post-Consumer Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
The pre-consumer recycled content is = 19.5%
(Pre-Consumer Scrap / Total Tons Raw Steel)
Understanding the recycled content of BOF and EAF steels, one should not attempt to select one steel producer over another on the basis of a simplistic comparison of relative scrap usage or recycled content. Rather than providing an enhanced environmental benefit, such a selection could prove more costly in terms of total life cycle assessment, energy consumption or other variables.