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Recycle
Steel is infinitely recyclable and has the highest recycling rates and export earnings of any material with approximately 300,000 tonnes of scrap metal recycled each year in Aotearoa.1
In New Zealand, the building and construction industry is the largest contributor to waste, with the Ministry for Environment estimating up to 50% of waste that goes to landfill comes from construction and demolition. 2ย As the country faces record levels of commercial construction, a housing shortage, and natural disasters like earthquakes and flooding which are leading to demolition and rebuild projects, adopting circular economy principles is vital to reduce landfill pressure and support the nationโs shift towards a low-emissions future.ย
Our rangahau is focused on quantifying steel recyclability rates in Aotearoa and highlighting the benefits of recycling steel produced and used here.
- level โ the authority on sustainable building & BRANZ LevelMSteel.pdf
- Ministry for the Environment Saving construction waste | Ministry for the Environment
Our project
Steel recycling report
Recycling steel scrap is beneficial overall.
We commissioned thinkstep.anz to quantify and articulate the benefits of recycling steel that is produced and used in Aotearoa New Zealand. The infinite recyclability of steel is used as a key part of its sustainability messaging, however, with no large-scale recycling capability within Aotearoa – this is not immediately obvious to the local market.
The report showed an impressive 85% of steel scrap in Aotearoa is recycled, and that recycling steel scrap produced here provides significant environmental benefits โ despite the need for transport to overseas recycling facilities. At 85% recovery, the savings in global warming potential per tonne of steel scrap generated in the sector was 1,249 kg CO2-equivalent. If 100 percent recovery could be achieved, there is potential savings of 1,473 kg CO2-equivalent.
The study also showed that the amount of steel scrap collected for recovery is critical to the overall benefits of the recycling system.
Data driven understanding of recycling
With an aim to identify the recycling rates of the steel used in New Zealand to validate sustainability credentials for recycling within the circular economy, our recycling study included:
- gathering data and information on how and where steel used and produced in New Zealand is recycled at end of life;
- understanding of the local and global scrap supply chain for steel used and produced here in Aotearoa;
- exploring how other metal materials are recycled both here and abroad;
- considering how recyclability differs based on the type of scrap, such as clean steel scrap vs. unseparated; and
- quantifying the carbon benefits of recycling steel used and produced in Aotearoa.
Our expert
Latest news & resources
This report highlights the benefits of recycling steel in Aotearoa and identifies local recycling rates, based on research commissioned by HERA from thinkstep-anz.
Tune in as we chat with Andrea Lun from House of Science about making science more accessible for rangatahi (youth).