Outokumpu markets recycled-content stainless

Finland-based metals producer Outokumpu says it has set a “new standard for the world’s most sustainable stainless steel,” launching a product line called Circle Green it says has a 92 percent lower carbon footprint than the industry average.

Energy sources and consumption throughout the production change contribute to the low emissions footprint, but the company says using stainless steel and nickel scrap as raw material feedstock also is a critical factor.

“Recycled materials played an important role in producing the emission-minimized stainless steel [that] we call Circle Green,” Päivi Allenius, a vice president with Outokumpu, tells Recycling Today. “By using scrap we can avoid using primary raw materials, as their impact on the product's carbon footprint is the most important,” she adds.

Allenius adds, “Our recycled material content is normally at 90 percent and in this case it was clearly even more than that—98 percent.”

Circle Green, in addition to having a 92 percent lower carbon footprint than the global average, has a 64 percent smaller footprint compared with Outokumpu’s regular production, says the company.

“We are extremely proud to introduce a new product line, Outokumpu Circle Green, which is truly an innovation in the stainless steel industry and a result of our focused learning journey,” says Niklas Wass, an executive vice president with the company. “The first batch was produced in Tornio, Finland, and was delivered to one of our strategic customers, Fiskars Group, to use for cookware. I’m extremely proud that we have launched a product that has a true impact on our customers’ climate ambitions.”

Wass continues, “We see increasing global customer demand for low-carbon footprint stainless steels, from construction to heavy industry and consumer products. I’m very happy to say that Outokumpu is now ready to answer this demand. In this first phase, we will concentrate our efforts to serve a few strategic customers, but we are already looking at ways to scale up the production.”

In addition to using more scrap, Outokumpu says it achieved emission reductions with “meticulous production and quality optimization” that led to higher energy efficiency. Biogas, biodiesel, bio coke and low-carbon electricity are being used in production to eliminate 95 percent of all Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions, says the firm.

“Our emission-minimized product answers the global need for more sustainable and long-lasting products that help to build a more sustainable future,” says Wass. “The material was produced on an industrial scale with our existing production assets. This is a key step and an essential achievement towards meeting Outokumpu’s sustainability goals.”