A long-term commitment to sustainability

Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, hygienic, corrosion-resistant and the environmental impacts resulting from its use are almost non-existent. On the other hand, its production – both the manufacturing and reprocessing stages – does have an impact on the environment. The most substantial environmental impacts which result from stainless steel production process include emissions of dust and particulates into the air, discharges of water from production plants, and the high levels of direct and indirect energy consumption during production. Landfill waste is also created during the production process.

Outokumpu's way of managing environmental issues

Guided by the Group's Environment, Health, Quality and Safety policies, Corporate Responsibility Policy and Ethical Principles, Outokumpu's firm objective is to minimise the environmental burden of the Group's operations as much as this is economically and technically feasible. All Outokumpu's larger production sites employ either Environmental Management Systems (EMS) or risk-based management systems which help in avoiding spills and accidents that could be harmful to humans or to the environment. All of these Group systems operate in accordance with ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems. Outokumpu's aim is to achieve a single Group-wide certificate. Currently 90% of our production sites have individual certification. The functioning of these systems is monitored using both internal and external audits. The Group also provides the appropriate authorities with reports on Outokumpu's operations in all the countries in which we operate. At Group level, our operations are managed and best practices applied through our environment network, whose working groups and environment committee meet once during each quarter.

Outokumpu believes that stainless steel will play an important role in the sustainable development of global infrastructure.

Outokumpu to increase its focus on environmental footprint

Stainless steel's very low environmental impact during the use phase, its durability and very low maintenance requirements are recognised. At the end of each product's life, its constituent materials are also fully recyclable. The life cycles of stainless steel products consist of several phases. Outokumpu's aim is to improve levels of sustainability in each phase from production through to re-use, and also to secure a sustainable supply chain all the way from suppliers of recycled steel to the production of stainless steel products.

Many applications that employ stainless steel already have a beneficial impact by reducing the total environmental burden exerted by human society. On a global scale, current trends towards achieving sustainability and reducing the extent of climate change are strong. The EU Climate and Energy Package focuses on renewable energy sources, emissions control and energy efficiency. Almost all nations and regions are targeting less-carbon-intensive forms of society.

Stainless is optimal for sustainable solutions

Outokumpu strongly believes that stainless steel will continue to play an important role in the sustainable development of global infrastructure. New business opportunities can already be identified as the use of stainless steel represents an important component in solutions which address humanity's growing demands for clean energy and pure water. Renewable energy solutions such as solar power, biofuels and wind energy require components and materials that can be sustainably sourced and yield low life cycle costs. Stainless steel is an optimal choice in such areas. What could be more practical than a metal that can be fully recycled multiple times without losing its intrinsically excellent qualities and which can be produced using the materials obtained when decommissioning redundant structures? For example, the steel structures in old, inefficient facilities can be dismantled and recycled to make new stainless steel products with far more advanced properties and characteristics. Technologies that help us adapt to the effects of climate change such as water purification systems and infrastructure that can withstand severe weather are being added to the list of solutions that will be built using corrosion-resistant materials.

Stainless already a key material in many applications

Stainless steel is already a key material in desalination equipment and processes. High-strength grades enable the use of thinner gauges in a variety of applications such as tanks, pressure vessels and piping, and also in transportation, civil and structural engineering solutions, with considerable savings in material costs. The development on duplex steels allows e.g. most building requirements to be reached with the added corrosion resistance that helps to increase the structure's lifespan. In road tankers, the properties of Outokumpu's duplex stainless steels allow considerable reductions in tank wall thickness, yielding lighter and less costly solutions with corresponding energy savings and reduced emissions. Together with the provision of technical customer support, a major subject of focus in the Group's R&D activities is assisting our customers along the path to a more sustainable economy. Outokumpu's austenitic and special grades of stainless steel ensure that we will be making positive contributions to future developments in sustainable solutions.

Environmental management has to be able to answer these challenges and needs for sustainable products and solutions. In the future, Outokumpu will be paying more focused attention to life-cycle-oriented environmental management. The importance of life-cycle data, both for internal use in highlighting areas where improvements are required and for external purposes in communications with customers and other stakeholders, has already been recognised. For example, Outokumpu has used Life-Cycle-Inventory data to publish an Environmental Product Declaration for Outokumpu Cr-Ni (chrome-nickel) stainless steel. This is a public document which describes the main environmental effects and energy needs of the Group's most common stainless steel grade throughout its supply chain. Outokumpu's environmental and energy reporting, data management and analysis are supported by an Energy & Environment Reporting (EER) system which provides internal reporting and analysis tools for all the Group's production sites. The availability of robust and verified data is the starting point for managing sustainability throughout a product's life cycle.

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