The European Ferrous Recovery and Recycling Association (EFR) has published the findings of a study evaluating the impact of the measures recommended by the European Commission's Steel Action Plan on the recycling industry.
EFR is concerned that such measures might jeopardize the scrap collection, sorting and processing industry. "Export restrictions and high regulation costs on the EU scrap recycling industry will have a detrimental impact on the EU's employment, trade relations and environment," EFR president Tom Bird noted.
According to the EFR report, the issues that created significant concerns for the EFR include proposals to restrict exports or impose additional monitoring burdens on the scrap metal trade. The report pointed out that "the EU has a huge and growing scrap reservoir. There is no risk of a scrap shortage that would justify export restrictions."
The European scrap recycling industry provides economic as well as environmental benefits, employing 300,000 workers, and, together with the electric arc furnace (EAF) steel industry, it generates a trade surplus of €11 billion. Compared to blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnaces, the EU's EAF sector consumes 78 percent less energy and generates 85 percent less CO2.