From Ecopedia

Overview

Steel, an alloy of carbon and iron, is available either in the form of cast iron (with more carbon content) or wrought iron (with little carbon content).^[1] Commonly used for construction, manufacturing, and consumer goods, steel is a very sturdy and versatile metal.

Many household goods, including utensils used for food consumption, are made of Stainless steel which is an alloy of steel containing 10.5 to 11% of minimum levels of chromium by mass. Unlike carbon steel, stainless steel shows resistance to stains and corrosions and does not rust easily. Stainless steel is also increasingly being used for applications such as roof-top solar panels and fuel cells that aid in minimizing global warming causing fossil fuel consumption.^[2]

Environmental Impacts

Manufacturing

Steel is popularly manufactured on a large scale using Bessemer process. With over 1300 million tons of steel produced every year, steel grabs the largest share in the overall metal market. Steel usage over the times expanded exponentially as the metal became an essential component in home appliances, buildings, tools, infrastructure, ships, weapons, machines and many more.^[3]

Steel manufacturing requires large amounts of iron, which is extracted from the earth’s crust occurring in the form of crude iron ore. Iron ore extraction is known to cause several negative environmental impacts such as topsoil disruption, biolife displacement, water contamination and creation of solid waste, all of which pose serious environmental hazards.^[4]

Another cause for concern is iron ore tailings disposal. Iron ore tailings consist of mainly copper, manganese, zinc, iron and certain macronutrients. Disposal of such harmful tailings in adjacent waters leads to water contamination and threat to marine life among other hazards.^[5]

Positive Attributes of Stainless Steel

Steel, especially stainless steel is the maximum recycled material in the world. Among the most recycled items, appliances, automobiles, containers as well as construction materials are commonly found.

During recycling, all physical attributes inherent in steel tends to remain intact as against other recycled materials.

Moreover, recycling of steel would result in significant energy savings and reduced material requirements. Energy saved in steel recycling could lead to around 75% reduced energy consumption annually, which would be enough to power around 18 million homes for a year.

Stainless steel, on the other hand, is cent percent recyclable. A typical stainless steel product is made up of 60% recycled material, of which 40% comes from end-of-life products and the rest from various production processes.^[6]

Moreover, compared to other metals, stainless steel would not cause damage to either soil or water. Drinking water pipes are made of stainless steel, as stainless steel ensures perfect hygiene, besides preventing the formation of bacteria-thriving mediums.

Air Quality

Modern catalytic converters that are used for checking air pollutants emanating from automobiles, forklifts, generators and mining equipment are made of stainless steel as corrosive-resistant property of stainless steel helps in withstanding high temperature environments.^[7]

References

1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel
2. ↑ http://www.bssa.org.uk/sectors.php?id=99
3. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel
4. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/mining
5. ↑ http://www.springerlink.com/content/v41627jx7m050107/
6. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel
7. ↑ http://www.bssa.org.uk/sectors.php?id=99