Gerdau touts recyclability in Formula 1 arrangement

Brazil-based steelmaker Gerdau has forged a partnership with the São Paulo Grand Prix, a Formula 1 race in early November, to be the event’s official steel supplier.

Gerdau will provide a 100 percent-recyclable steel product to be used “to modernize the structures of Interlagos circuit,” which will host the São Paulo event.

“With over 80 years of a history marked by iconic Formula 1 events, the Interlagos circuit will receive Gerdau’s 100 percent recyclable steel for modernization works following the sustainability parameters aligned with the guidelines established by the São Paulo Grand Prix (GP) and Formula 1,” the steelmaker says.

New equipment to be installed in the racetrack includes a fixed steel structure system for the audio-visual broadcast of the race.

“We are very proud of being part of such an iconic event for the Brazilian culture and sports, which is the São Paulo Grand Prix,” Gerdau CEO Gustavo Werneck says. “Over its 122 years of history, Gerdau has been monitoring several changes in the automotive industry and considers the current partnership a great opportunity to promote the production of 100 percent-recyclable and low-cost steel, offering a more sustainable option for one of the world's largest sports event, the São Paulo GP.”

Gerdau says the steel to be used at the event is made with scrap metal content. “Recycling, based on the circular economy concept, also has positive effects on mitigating climate change: it enables [saving] natural resources and [reducing] energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission,” the steelmaker says.

Gerdau is a global provider of special steel, which it says is an essential input for the automotive industry, with production of low-carbon steel taking place at its mills in Brazil and the United States.

More than 1 million people, including scrap collectors and cooperatives, are involved in Gerdau’s recycling process, according to the firm, adding that 71 percent of Gerdau’s steel is made from recycled scrap metal weighing in at some 11 million metric tons annually.

“Formula 1 defined clear goals to reduce carbon emissions," São Paulo Grand Prix CEO Alan Adler says. "São Paulo Grand Prix feels privileged for being part of this important movement. We are also agents and disseminators of the sustainability culture. For this reason, we are very happy with the partnership we established with Gerdau, a company that gives priority to circular economy, recycling materials and mitigating the impact on the environment. All this is in line with the São Paulo GP initiatives on environmental preservation.”