Environmental Considerations
Nippon Steel work to recycle internally-generated by-products so that we can realize zero emission. We are also actively engaged in recycling of waste generated in society or by other industries in steelmaking process.
Nearly all the steel slag, that makes up the majority of steel by-products is used as raw materials for cement, ground improvement material, road bed material, and so forth. This also helps natural resource conservation and energy conservation.Dust generated in the process of iron manufacture is processed by the “RHF” (rotary hearth furnace) equipment and to recover usable resources, thus establishing zero emission system for steel dust.
Nippon Steel recovers 100% of resources (oil, coke, coke oven gas) from the container and packaging plastics collected by individual local governments from ordinary homes. At present, Nippon Steel has established the world's largest, waste-plastics reception network by which its seven areas of five steelworks in nationwide locations are servicing the entire country. Nippon Steel recycles about 30% (200,000 tons) of the container and packaging plastic collected from municipalities throughout Japan, and has processed a total of 3.91 million tons (between 2000 and 2022). This is equivalent to a total CO2 reduction of approximately 12.5 million tons. In addition, the company also recycles fiber products including discarded uniforms and food trays from store front collection in cooperation with tray producing companies into petrochemical products, using our above-mentioned technology.