With British Steel collapsing earlier this month and the government now trying to find a new buyer to take on the company, should the industry be looking at taking itself in a new direction?

An article for the Guardian recently suggested that focusing on recycling steel, rather than primary production of the material, could help in a number of ways.

For one thing, it would significantly reduce the carbon emissions in the sector, which is currently one of the highest-emitting industrial sectors in the country and it’s estimated that switching to greater levels of steel recycling in place of primary production could reduce its emissions by around three-quarters.

But perhaps more importantly for the thousands of workers who have found themselves wondering if they’ll still have jobs in the coming weeks, it could help ensure the long-term security of the sector.

The newspaper explained that, at present, the UK creates around ten tonnes of scrap steel a year. Around 80 per cent of this is exported to other countries where it’s processed. But if the UK embraced steel recycling, it could become self-sufficient in the material and preserve a number of jobs.

A new report cited by the news provider estimates that the need for primary production could drop to net zero within 30 years if the country embraced the concept of steel recycling.

“This green steel model is the only future compatible with our goals for zero emissions,” Professor Julian Allwood, professor of engineering and the environment at Cambridge University and author of the report, stated.

He added: “The UK, with its strong climate policy, mature stocks of steel, and great history of innovation in materials science and processing, is perfectly placed to be world-leading with a sustainable steel industry.”

The report also highlights several areas for improvement within the collection and separation of steel from the waste stream, and recommends placing an export duty on scrap steel that’s sent overseas to encourage more companies to recycle it in the UK.

One of the big advantages to recycling steel overproducing it as a new material is that electric arc furnaces can be used to repurpose steel, whereas blast furnaces are needed to produce new steel from iron ore.

This is what makes the process much more environmentally friendly and is one of the key reasons behind the report’s recommendations.

Another suggestion is to invest more heavily in research and development surrounding scrap metal collection and recycling. This would “help to ensure the metals are turned into high-value components rather than simply melted down into cheap ingots for export,” the newspaper noted.

The BBC recently revealed that the government has had expressions of interest from over 80 buyers for British Steel since putting the company up for sale following its compulsory liquidation. At present, the government is covering the wages of the 5,000 staff to keep the company running until a new owner is found.

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