Waste is increasingly being seen as a lost resource and lost profit. Industry is realising that the economic benefits from recycling and reuse can be significant. The benefits are related to the more efficient use of materials, energy, water and other resources and reductions in pollution problems. Processes that add value to waste materials can lead to significant financial benefits.

There is an increasing interest in reuse and recycling in construction, partly driven by the LEED™ green building rating system and increased awareness of environmental issues, but also due to potential economic benefits. Designers are increasingly looking to incorporate reused and recycled steel components into construction projects.

The use of recycled steel offers significant potential savings in greenhouse gases as a result of lower emission from the manufacturing process compared to primary steel production. Steel is a highly recycled material and most new steel components from steel mills will have a significant proportion of recycled content. Nevertheless this steel has undergone some reprocessing using primary energy.

Reuse of steel component involves the sourcing of steel components from old buildings and using them in new projects with minimal reprocessing. Reuse of steel components offers greater savings than recycling, as little or no processing is required. The components may be cleaned and some additional fabrication may be required, but there is no need to re-manufacture the steel. When reusing steel components the main additional emissions result principally from transport.

It is therefore desirable to improve both the market perception and market knowledge of the opportunities for reuse of steel in building construction. The aim of this web site is to provide tools that will facilitate greater reuse of steel components in construction.

It is often difficult to identify suitable reclaimed steel components in the local area at the appropriate time in a project life. A limiting factor for greater adoption of reuse of steel component is the lack of a well established mechanism for exchange of these components.

This web site aims to facilitate easier exchange of reclaimed steel components for reuse. The Sources of Reused Steel feature allows provides links to sites where steel components are exchanged or available to the industry.

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