Steel is at the centre of the circular economy. Steel is a permanent material – this is to say, it can be recovered and recycled endlessly, without losing its essential properties.
Steel production, use and recycling naturally follows a circular pattern, with steel products returning to the cycle once their service life has ended.
The large volumes of steel produced in Europe every year – 160 million tonnes – are made with large amounts of scrap steel. 56% of EU steel is made from scrap, with around 100 million tonnes of scrap steel recycled every year.
In 2020, the EU published a Circular Economy Action Plan. This Action Plan is an important step in developing a truly circular economy in Europe.
Joint industry statement
EUROFER supports steel for packaging sector APEAL
Brussels, 16 March 2023 – A successful EU industrial policy requires a value chain-based approach, with steel as an integral part of the Net-Zero Industry Act. To ensure that the EU remains competitive in the greatest transformation of the industry towards climate-neutrality, it is essential to adopt disruptive thinking and innovative measures to create a more attractive green investment environment whilst securing the EU’s strategic autonomy. The European Steel Association (EUROFER) details its comprehensive vision in a new policy paper covering all industrial policy fields relevant for a green, decarbonised and prospering European manufacturing industry, including energy and climate, environment and circularity, investment, trade, internal market and skills.