BlueScope Steel launches sustainability website

BlueScope Steel has launched a sustainability website for sustainability specialists, industry personnel and the general public that showcases sustainable solutions for building, infrastructure, mining, energy and manufacturing.

Richard Rowe, Sustainability Manager for BlueScope Steel, says that a key focus of the website was the educational and visual guide to the life cycle of steel and its effects on the consumer, community and environment, at each stage:

“As a responsible steel maker, we are proud to publish credible and transparent information on the sustainability of steel throughout its entire life cycle that includes technical literature and guidance on sustainability assessment tools.”

The life cycle of steel begins with the raw materials, recycled content and water usage needed for steel production, progressing to steel manufacturing, highlighting innovative collaborations with the University of Wollongong’s Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) and the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), before moving onto steel transportation.

Information on the efficient production of steel discloses key aspects of the manufacturing process including material efficiency, slag and gas recycling and re-use. It also references innovation in the production, including dematerialisation, collaboration and participation in the worldsteel Climate Action Program.

The site features information on sustainable design solutions and designing for the Australian climate and includes topics such as healthy indoor spaces and green rating tools such as the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star. It also includes information on cool roofs with an analysis of Colorbond steel with Thermatech technology and Colorbond Coolmax steel.

The Life Cycle of Steel concludes with how steel can be re-used and recycled.

The site also includes a range of sustainability literature including Green Star certification, Sustainability Technical Bulletins and technical notes from the National Association of Steel Framed Houses (NASH). Examples of sustainable steel, used both nationally and internationally, are also showcased, including residential buildings, commercial construction, industrial projects as well as larger steel schemes in infrastructure, mining, energy and manufacturing.