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It’s time to move away from the global plastic addiction to sustainable stainless Given that the theme of Sassda’s 60th Anniversary is celebrating sustainability this article looks at the excellent work our global associate World Stainless is doing to champion the message that stainless steel is a viable alternative to plastic and should be used to ensure an environmentally eco-friendly product.
Choosing stainless steel for an application ensures that it will be produced responsibly, with an extremely low life- cycle inventory (also known as the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions profile). Furthermore, stainless steel products have low, or close to zero, maintenance costs during their long life, and stainless steel can be reused indefinitely because they are easy to recycle without any loss of quality or material integrity. In line with this, worldstainless.org has reiterated its support for the Zero Waste initiative (www.zwia.org) which focuses on; “The conservation of all resources using responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning, and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health”. This initiative underscores the urgent need to reevaluate material selection practices, highlighting the superior environmental credentials of stainless steel over traditional options like plastic. This comes as a response to escalating environmental concerns and the pressing need for industry-wide action.
With mounting evidence of the detrimental impact of plastic pollution on ecosystems worldwide, advocating for the adoption of stainless steel as the preferred choice for various applications, it’s clear that this is the most responsible and sustainable to make. A plastic addiction Sassda Executive Director Michel Basson comments; “We cannot afford to continue down the path of plastic dependency. The environmental consequences are dire, and it’s time for industries to take responsibility for their choices. Stainless steel offers a viable solution - one that prioritises sustainability without compromising on performance.” Indeed, the superior life-cycle strengths of stainless steel make it an ideal candidate for a wide range of applications. Unlike plastic, which contributes significantly to environmental pollution and resource depletion, stainless steel boasts low to zero maintenance costs throughout its long operational life.
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Issue 1– 2024
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