It examines the critical role of steel in delivering true sustainability to our society and calls for a global rethink of regulations in all market sectors across every region.
 
This publication demonstrates how steel enables a sustainable society, through a circular economy, when the full life cycle of steel products is taken into account. It highlights the need for legislators and industry decision makers to take a full life cycle approach before making legislative or manufacturing material decisions. It contains case studies from around the world that show how this is being carried out on a practical basis.
 
Edwin Basson, director general at worldsteel commented on the launch: “In a world of finite resources we must leave the outdated ‘take, make, consume and dispose’ mentality behind and move toward a circular economy model for optimal resource efficiency. To achieve this we need a life cycle approach that measures the social, economic and environmental impact of a product at each stage in its life cycle. We believe that life cycle thinking must become a key requirement for all manufacturing decisions going forward.
 
“The steel industry is an integral part of the circular economy model. A circular economy promotes zero waste, a reduction in the amount of materials used, and encourages the reuse and recycling of materials. These are all fundamental advantages of using steel. Therefore, in a well-structured circular economy, steel has competitive advantages over other materials,” he said.
 
To read more about ‘Steel in the Circular Economy: A life cycle perspective’, please visit worldsteel’s online bookshop.