BIR Releases New Steel Recycling Report

The Ferrous Division of the Brussels-based Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) released the 2006 to 2010 version of its World Steel Recycling in Figures booklet at its 2011 World Recycling Congress in Singapore.

The BIR bills the booklet as an “important compilation of statistics on the global ferrous scrap markets.” BIR statistics advisor Rolf Willeke conducted key research and authored the report, which also includes a foreword from BIR Ferrous Division president Christian Rubach.

The figures for 2010 show that global scrap consumption by the steel industry amounted to about 530 million metric tons, an increase of about 15 percent over what was melted in 2009.

Among the surprises when comparing 2010 figures to those from 2009, said Rubach, was that China imported 57 percent less ferrous scrap in 2010, and India’s imports dropped by nearly 25 percent.

Willeke predicted, though, that China’s scrutiny of industrial carbon emissions levels will be prompting it to buy more ferrous scrap in 2011 and beyond.

Leading ferrous scrap exporters in 2010 were the United States (20.5 million metric tons), the European Union (18.9 million metric tons) and Japan (6.5 million metric tons).

Willeke also thanked Chinese agencies and association for providing figures for the new “World Steel Recycling in Figures” report, which is the second completed by the BIR.

Also new in the second version is information on the use of ferrous scrap grades by the iron and steel foundry industry.

Those wishing to read or print out the entire report can go to http://www.bir.org/assets/Documents/publications/brochures/aFerrousReportFinal2006-2010.pdf.

The 2011 BIR World Recycling Convention was May 23-25 in Singapore.