End-of-life recycling and disposal: essential to any LCA study

Clare Broadbent, LCA XI, 6th October 2011

Contents
The worldsteel LCI database
Use of the worldsteel data
End of life of products
worldsteel recycling methodology
Application of the methodology

Excluding use phase

EAF and BOF processes

worldsteel LCI data

Data is externally available for 14 steel products

Data is collected from steel producers, on a site-by-site basis,

and on a process-by-process basis

e.g. Coke, Sinter, BF, BOF, EAF, Rolling, Coating, Pipe making etc

The data shows all inputs and outputs for each of the processes

e.g. Power, fuels, coal, iron ore, scrap, limestone, water, alloys etc.
e.g. air emissions, water emissions, waste, recovered materials etc

Data is modelled in LCA software, GaBi

Average product specific data is generated and is available for
use by all members: represents 1 tonne of product

Our process is perceived to be valued

Requests for worldsteel LCI data
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Number of requests

2010

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4th March 2011

Key aspect of a full LCA:

End of life

End of life

We know that:

Steel can be indefinitely recycled with no loss in inherent properties

Steel is the most recycled and most easily recycled material
> 20 billion tonnes of steel scrap has been recycled
For every tonne of steel recycled, this saves:

1.5 tonnes CO2-e

1.4 tonnes iron ore
13 GJ primary energy

14 tonnes of steel are recycled every second around the world

Recycling rates for steel products are very high but can be improved:

> 95% for automotive

> 80% for buildings
~ 70% for packaging

worldsteel methodology to deal with scrap

Peer reviewed by 4 international experts (ISO 14040 &
14044)
Closed material loop approach
end of life approach
avoided burden
0 100 method

Is dependent on the products end of life recycling rate

Apply consistent allocation procedures to inputs and
outputs(ISO 14044 s4.3.4.2)
Considers only the net scrap generation
End of life recycling rate minus scrap input
Burden for scrap input (i.e. recycled content)
Credit for scrap output (i.e. end of life recycling)

Steel making is an interconnected process

Scrap Iron ore

EAF Process

Iron ore

Scrap

BOF Process route

Primary steel
Secondary steel

steel pool

Primary steel from the BOF route. contains scrap (10 30%)
Steel scrap recycling occurs in the EAF

scrap/steel yield associated with secondary steel making

Secondary steel also contains virgin materials

Methodology justification

Primary steel slab is replaced by recycling scrap

Steel scrap recycling is already well established

Steel is recycled in a closed material loop

where scrap is recovered it will be used for recycling

secondary material displaces primary production
the inherent properties of the steel are equivalent

The demand for steel scrap exceeds the availability of

the scrap

magnified partly due to the long lifetime of steel products

designing products for disassembly will increase recycling

The methodology I
Assumes scrap input burdens and end-of-life recycling
credits are equal
Recycling steel scrap saves primary production
There is no 100% primary steel
A theoretical primary steel needs to be calculated

Scrap itself does not replace primary steel

The scrap has to be melted (in an EAF) to make new steel

The EAF process has a yield

>1kg scrap required to make 1kg steel

1 kg scrap

Y kg steel produced

The methodology II
The scrap LCI = the avoided 100% primary production
of steel the burden associated with the recycling of
steel scrap to make new steel, multiplied by the yield
of this process to consider losses in the process:

ScrapLCI = (X pr X re )Y

Xpr = the theoretical LCI for 100% primary metal production, from
the BOF route, assuming 0% scrap input.
Xre = the LCI for 100% secondary metal production from scrap in
the EAF (assuming scrap = 100%)
Y is the process yield of the EAF (i.e. >1kg scrap is required to
produce 1kg steel)

Theoretical primary steel, Xpr

XBOF
mkg scrap input

Xpr

Xre
+

)(

In reality, m kg scrap input to BOF per 1 kg steel produced

mY kg steel produced

1 mY kg steel produced

1 kg steel produced

this needs to be removed

100%
X BOF to=get1
mYprimary
X pr steel
+ mYX re
this scrap would be melted in the EAF process producing mY kg steel (Y = yield of process)

Rearranging to get the theoretical 100% primary steel, Xpr, needs to produce 1-mY kg steel:

XBOF
mkg scrap input

Xpr

1 mY kg steel produced

Xre

1 kg steel produced

mY kg steel produced

The calculations

X BOF = (1 mY )(X pr ) + mYX re

m = scrap input to the BOF route (ScrapBOF)

Yield: Y =

1
Scrapre

Therefore:

This would give the following:

mY =

Scrap BOF
Scrap re

Scrap BOF
X BOF = 1
Scrap re

Scrap BOF
(X pr ) +

Scrap re

X re

The theoretical value for 100% primary steel, Xpr:

X pr

ScrapBOF

X BOF
X re
Scrapre

=
ScrapBOF
1
Scrapre

Inputting the data for CO2:

X pr

0.119

1.7558
0.386
1.092

=
0.119
1
1.092

Xpr = 1.9 kg CO2

Inputting this for the value of scrap:

ScrapLCI = (X pr X re )Y

ScrapLCI = [1.92 0.386]

1
1.092

Scrap LCI = 1.405kg CO2

The end of life approach

Environmental impact

Virgin material
Recycled material
Scrap remelting
Use phase
Disposal
Avoided production

Production

Use

End of life

Applying the recycling credits and burdens

Iron ore

S= 0.121 kg scrap

Steel production
1kg Hot Rolled Coil
Product manufacture,
use, maintenance and
final disposal

Steel scrap from system for recycling = R= 0.85 kg

The scrap LCI is applied to the steel product cradle to gate LCIs to include
the end of life phase
A credit is given for the amount of steel scrap that will be recycled at the end
of life of the product, RR
A burden needs to be applied to any scrap that is used in the steelmaking
process, S

LCI includingEoL = X ( RR S ) * ScrapLCI

LCI includingEoL = 1.889 (0.85 0.121) * 1.405
LCI includingEoL = 0.86kgCO2

Emissions throughout the life cycle

Global Warming Potential, kg CO2-e

Upstream emissions
Raw materials and electricity
Site (scope 1)

Steel industry responsibility

Net avoided emissions
for end of life recycling

Recycling credit

Sections

Hot Rolled Coil

Hot Dip Galvanised

17

Life Cycle Contributions

Primary Energy Demand, MJ per kg steel

30

On-site (Scope 1)
Net recycling credit (85%)

Upstream
Cradle to gate including recycling

25
20
15
10
5
0
-5
-10

Sections

Hot Rolled Coil

18

Hot Dip Galvanised

Application in the automotive industry

End-of-life vehicle regulations mean

that recycling rates of steel from
vehicles are over 95%
Conducting an LCA of a mid-size
vehicle containing 1070kg steel
This clearly shows and encourages
the benefits of recycling steel
Therefore it is important to consider
the full life cycle during material
decision making
Failing to consider an aspect of a
products life cycle means that a full
LCA has not been carried out

GWP, kg

PED, MJ

25

20

15

10

Need to fully consider use phase as

well

Excluding EoL

Including EoL

GWP for Slab Production

kg CO2-e per kg of slab production
BOF Slab

EAF Slab

-1

1kg Slab

Scrap input burden

Scrap recycling
credit (80%)

-2

1kg slab including

recycling

Recycled content is irrelevant in terms of environmental impact

20

A sustainable multi-material world

Steel is a key material in achieving a sustainable world
In material decision making:
Use good quality data
Avoid shifting burdens by focusing only on one life cycle
phase, e.g. use phase
Follow a full life cycle approach
From cradle to grave, including recycling
Including impacts other than GHG emissions

We should assess the consequences of our decisions

on social, environmental and economic levels
21

Clare Broadbent
Manager, Life Cycle Assessment
broadbent@worldsteel.org
+32 2 702 89 32
For data: www.worldsteel.org

Cover photo by Daniel Rodrguez Molowny