Steel's almost unique ability among construction materials to be reused or recycled is its most obvious sustainability strength.

Steel is the most recycled material in the world and can be readily recycled many times, without any loss of properties. Structural sections can easily be reused in the construction industry, which means that steel has a value at the end of a building's life, rather than being the cause of a demolition cost. Recycled steel is critical to the manufacture of new steel and globally over 40% of all steel is made directly from recycled material.

The recyclability benefits of steel mean that specifiers are already making a substantial contribution towards sustainability simply by selecting steel as a framing material and for other construction uses.

In the UK and Ireland some 99% of steel from deconstructed buildings is either reused or recycled. This component nature of steel frames means that their reuse can be simply achieved.

Steel frames can be easily dismantled at the end of their working life for a particular use at the original location, which reduces the end of life impact associated with demolition of other types of buildings on local communities. Far less waste has to be carted off site and sent to landfill.

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Waste created during the manufacture of steel components is less than 3%, and all of this is recycled. On construction sites, where waste has been highlighted as a significant problem, there is virtually no steel waste. By ordering specially rolled lengths for individual projects, wastage from cut lengths is kept to a minimum.

In steelwork contractors' fabrication facilities all scrap steel is sent for recycling and even the amount of scrap created this way has been reducing substantially in recent years thanks to staff training and new procedures being adopted. Waste related KPI's are adopted and monitored by steelwork contractors on site.

The 2012 Olympic Games in London are expected to heighten the focus on the demountability and other reuse characteristics of steel. London’s winning Olympic Games bid contained promises regarding legacy uses of stadiums and other structures which can only be met thanks to the ability of constructional steelwork to be demounted and reassembled elsewhere, perhaps in other parts of the country, once the Games are over.

Following the steel trail Corus were curious to know the answer to this question 'Where does recycled steel go to?' when its Lackenby open hearth steel plant in Teesside, was demolished. There was 20,000t of structural steel in this gigantic building that was 330m long, 39m high and 70m wide.

Dismantling and reuse was ruled out due to it being rivetted construction, rather than bolted, but the steel from the demolition was all recycled at the Teeside furnaces over a six month period.

New steel using this material was supplied to hundreds of customers in the UK and Ireland as sections, plates and strip steel.

Corus tracked where the steel went to and what it was used for.

Some went to Heathrow's new Terminal 5, while other sections found their way into the new stand at London’s Oval cricket ground.

Steel plate was used in construction of buildings over Paddington Railway station in London and light steel framed houses.

Strip steel supplied to the Royal Mint was used to make copper plated one pence and two pence coins and other strip steel found its way into the manufacture of automotive parts.

Recycling this steel saved enough energy to supply 3,700 households with all of their energy requirements for a year.