Turning Plastic Bags into Steel

Australia’s Herald Sun features an article on the company OneSteel’s efforts to use plastic bags to provide energy for producing steel.

The plastic bags will replace materials like coal, which contains carbon used in the process of creating steel in a furnace. Plastic bags are primarily made of polyethylene, which also contains carbon.

Plastic bags will be able to replace up to 30 percent of the carbon-generating materials currently used to produce steel. The world produces about 1.1 billion tonnes of steel globally.

As of June 17th 2011 we have upgraded our comment system to use Facebook comments. The below comments are closed and are listed for historical purposes.

Archived Comments

  1. Ram Narayanan

    posted on August 7th, 2009 at 9:05 am

    can I get more information on this subject of using plastic bags to make steel.
    Thanks

Recently Added to Plastic

  • Okabashi Closes the Loop on Sandal Recycling

    Shoes made from recycled materials are not a new green fashion trend: New Balance, Puma and even Manolo Blahnik have all turned waste into new kicks.

    But Georgia-based Okabashi goes a step further: Not only are its sandals and flip-flops made …

  • Schick Debuts Recycled Razor

    Many greenies opt for reusable razors to cut back on waste. But if you haven’t made the switch, Schick has found a way to make your disposable razor habit a bit more eco-friendly.

    The leading razor manufacturer is joining forces with …

  • Austin Residents Debate Bag Ban Online

    Late last year, lawmakers in Austin, Texas passed an ordinance to slap fees on plastic and paper carryout bags in 2013 and ban them outright by 2014. Although the city vowed to attain “zero-waste” by 2040, carryout bag legislation has …

Earth911

Earth911 is an environmental services company that addresses solutions for products' end-of-life for both businesses and consumers.