Sustainability
In 50 Years All Drainage Will Be Stainless
Considered together, product life, product cost, and the environment all call for stainless steel. Stainless steel can be recycled into new materials and products, and it is a non-toxic material. Furthermore, it requires no painting or coating, making recycling even easier and cleaner.
BLÜCHER recognizes its responsibility towards the environment. Our goals are to minimize emissions and waste as well as to use raw materials and energy efficiently. Transportation is the most important source of CO2 emissions. The level of emission is dependent on the volume and weight of the goods carried. A stainless steel drainage system weighs only one third of a cast-iron drainage system. So a reduction of cargo weight in turn reduces CO2.
This lower weight also offers numerous benefits to health and safety at work. First and foremost installation becomes easier, and less manpower is required to carry out the installation work.
Stainless steel as a material has many environmental benefits in its production, use and recyclability. Stainless steel, because of its tensile strength, can be manufactured as a thinner material than other metallic systems. Because it is corrosion resistant, it allows avoidance of alternative materials that require more maintenance or earlier replacement. It is fire resistant and hygienic – its non-toxic, smooth surfaces are easily cleaned and sterilized. With no degradation over use, it can be recycled indefinitely without loss of properties. And because of its high value as a scrap metal, there is a strong stainless steel recycling industry.
Benefits of Stainless Steel
Stainless steel as a material has many environmental benefits in its production, use and recyclability.
Features | Benefits |
---|---|
Tensile strength | Can use thinner material than other metallic systems because of high strength to weight ratio. |
Corrosion resistant | Avoids the use of alternative materials that require more maintenance or earlier replacement |
Hygienic | Non toxic, smooth surfaces, easily cleaned and sterilised |
Low maintenance | Reduction in cleaning |
Long lifetime | No replacement needed |
Whole life cycle costs | Long life, minimal maintenance and strong residual |
Fire resistant | Withstands high temperatures |
100% recyclable | Not used in landfill |
No degradation | Can be recycled indefinitely without loss of properties |
High value scrap price | Strong stainless steel recycling industry |
New material contains 70% recycled material | Reduces the need for primary raw material and makes an above average contribution to global environmental protection by reducing the depletion of non-renewable resources. Producing -from scrap rather than primary resources significantly reduces energy used, CO2 emissions and waste. |