RECYCLED STEEL IN ROOFING

Metal Center understands how important using recyclable material on a build is for the environment and our customers. All of our coils meet the requirements of a LEED certified project material because of the amount of recycled content the steel contains. When qualifying for LEED verification, recycled content is calculated by the percentage of recycled material in the new cold rolled steel. New cold rolled steel must be composed of up to 50% recycled content to remain LEED certified.

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RECYCLED STEEL IN NORTH AMERICA

When purchasing steel products in North America, you are purchasing a recycled product. Steel milled in North America contains an average of 25% recycled materials. Steel designated for use as coils contains an even higher percentage, sometimes as high as 75% recycled material. Recycling is a vital process of the steel milling process, as steel has an almost unlimited capacity for being repeatedly recycled for future use.

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

As the recycling process is integral the producing steel, it also helps eliminate landfill waste and reduce CO2 emissions created from milling raw or non recycled material. This CO2 reduction comes from the use of furnaces in the milling process. Steel made from electric arc furnaces uses over 90% recycled steel to create new steel, a very environmentally friendly process that also often incorporates carbon capture programs and use of greener fuels for furnaces. Due to the increased demand for greener, more recycled content, the North American steel industry has reduced CO2 intensity per ton by 37 percent since 1990.

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STEEL IN THE BUILDING PROCESS

Based on data from SRI, an average 2000 sqft. home will require approximately 40-50 trees, or around 1 acre of forested woodlands to build. To compare the equivalent of using steel equates to approximately 6 scrapped vehicles.

Here are a couple key factors to consider about metal in the building process:

• Steel has the highest strength to weight ratio of any regularly used building material

• Pre-painted steel roofing solutions help reflect solar energy

• Metal roofs offer the longest lifespans of any roofing materials, some lasting upwards of 200 years

• Residential metal roofing can save up to 40% on heating utilities

• Metal roofing requires little to no maintenance

Another benefit to metal roofing, siding, and trim is that it is 100% recyclable. The waste that comes from an installation or demolition can be recycled on the job site to qualify for additional LEED points, and provide recycled material for use in other steel building materials.

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