Steel is the most recycled material in the world. The steel industry will highlight this accomplishment through two key celebrations while displaying at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Chicago on November 14-16, 2018.

Thursday, November 15th, marks America Recycles Day, and will be central to highlighting the steel industry’s commitment to recycling. This November also marks the 30th anniversary of the Steel Recycling Institute promoting and sustaining the recycling of steel. Both themes will be central to the industry’s presence at Greenbuild.

America Recycles Day is hosted annually by Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. Thousands of communities participate by hosting individual events to educate people on the importance of environmental citizenship and taking action to become “everyday” recyclers. More information is available at https://www.kab.org/our-programs/america-recycles-day.

The Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) was founded in 1988 as a grassroots effort to implement steel can recycling in communities across North America. SRI’s focus expanded in 1993 to encompass the recycling of all steel products. More recently, SRI’s focus grew to include assessment of the full life cycle of steel products. The organization works directly with the public and private sectors to expand and grow steel recycling, and has been an integral part of America Recycles Day since its inception. For more information on SRI and steel recycling, visit www.steelsustainability.org.

Mark Thimons, P.E., LEED AP-BD+C, vice president of sustainability for the Steel Market Development Institute, a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), noted the commitment of the North American steel industry to providing sustainable products in the construction, automotive and packaging markets and to promoting the work of like-minded organizations such as Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and the Steel Recycling Institute. “Each year, more steel is recycled than aluminum, paper, plastic and glass combined,” he said. “In addition, steel is continuously recyclable, meaning it can be recycled over and over again into a wide range of products such as cars, beams, appliances and containers. We encourage the public to become more informed and take individual action to reduce their environmental footprint though the recycling of steel products.”

Thimons noted that the Steel Market Development Institute and the American Institute of Steel Construction are sharing a display at Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (Booths 415 and 514), the premier event dedicated to sustainability in the built environment, which is being held November 14-16, 2018 at McCormick Place in Chicago. A small reception on the Expo floor will take place November 15 to commemorate America Recycles Day and the Steel Recycling Institute. He encouraged event participants to visit the booths to discuss steel as a sustainable solution in the built environment.