Steel is the most recycled material globally. That and many more features make it a sustainable material. In addition, it’s durable and can withstand extreme weather conditions. You can use your stainless steel item for several decades without it becoming susceptible to rust or damage.
That also explains why there are so many uses for it. You can find stainless steel in virtually any industry. Let’s start with the domestic industry – it’s very popular for producing kitchen utensils, appliances, countertops, and shelves, to name a few. These domestic products are also very easy to clean.
Stainless steel is also in high demand in the construction industry. This is because it doesn’t rust, making it suitable for external walls, roofs, drainage and water systems, and handrails. Every industry benefits from stainless steel, from the pharmaceutical industry down to the medical one.
However, it doesn’t last forever too. So, if you’re looking to dispose of any stainless steel item you own, you may wonder if recycling is an option. So, is stainless steel recyclable? Well, we’ll explore that and other stainless steel-related questions in this blog post. Dive in!
Is Stainless Steel Recyclable?
Stainless steel is one of the most common materials. You’ll find it everywhere, and it lasts long too. It also helps that this material is entirely sustainable – it’s durable and can be used numerous times before it has to be recycled. Even then, you can still recycle it countless times.
This material is an alloy, or rather, a group of alloys. It’s made from iron and some other metals like aluminum, nickel, molybdenum, chromium, and manganese, to name a few. There are also additional components like silicon and carbon.
All these materials put together make stainless steel, which is recyclable. Stainless steel also has a high recycling value – about 60% of stainless steel products are made from recycled stainless steel. Yes, that’s how sustainable it is.
So, you can contact your community’s solid waste authority to find out if there are curbside provisions for recycling steel. Don’t forget to ask about the requirements, too; not all stainless steel materials can be recycled in a curbside recycling center.
If the item you’re recycling isn’t accepted at curbside collections, you can try household recycling centers. Alternatively, you could also consult a metal recycling company, and you can find the closest one through an internet search.
Finally, you can try a scrapyard. Those people will pay good money for stainless steel products that meet up with their minimum weight. You could also choose to donate it to them.
Is Stainless Steel Rust Proof?
Stainless steel is a shiny metal made from a combination of several others. It’s a sustainable material that you can recycle repeatedly. Typically, stainless steel can also last as long as 50 years, or even more if it’s well maintained.
However, during its lifespan, it may or may not rust. The corrosiveness depends on how you care for your stainless steel item. Although, technically, it shouldn’t rust.
You see, stainless steel is made from iron, chromium, silicon, and some other metals. Chromium is the metal that’s primarily responsible for stainless steel’s non-corrosiveness. So, of course, the higher the chromium content, the less likely it is for your items to rust.
When stainless steel is exposed to any substance that can cause it to corrode, its chromium will oxidize almost immediately and form a protective layer on the stainless steel material. Chromium needs oxygen to form a protective layer, so if the oxygen in an environment is too low, it can cause your item to corrode.
Even if something scratches off the layer of chromium, another layer will form and keep protecting the stainless steel item. But of course, that’s as long as there are sufficient levels of chromium present in the material.
The typical chromium content is usually 12%, and even at that low level, a well-maintained stainless steel item won’t rust unless it is repeatedly exposed to seawater or water with high chlorine content. Then, it’ll weaken the chromium, and of course, rust will begin to set in.
What’s responsible for reducing the chromium content in stainless steel is the presence of chlorine. So, even if your stainless steel item isn’t near seawater, other water bodies like a pool can cause it to rust pretty fast.
Another factor that can cause stainless steel to rust is tiny steel particles. However, the chromium content in the stainless steel material will prevent rust if it exceeds 12%.
But again, if the tiny steel particles are in excess, they can overpower the chromium and cause the stainless steel item to rust. However, you can use a solvent to remove the rust by thoroughly cleaning the corroded item.
So yes, stainless steel can rust, but under unfavorable and extreme conditions.
Can You Paint Stainless Steel?
The short answer is that you can. You can paint stainless steel, but it has such a smooth surface that makes the process challenging. Additionally, stainless steel has been designed to make its products mesmerizing even without added paint.
However, if you want to paint your stainless steel item, then go for it! If you don’t know how, please read on as we’ll provide tips on achieving this feat.
But first, you need to know that the most suitable paint for a stainless steel item is epoxy paint. It’s great for painting floors, and its adhesiveness is excellent for painting stainless steel because it’s also resistant to bonding surfaces.
Now that you know the paint to buy, it’s time to prepare the item. First, you need to clean the surface properly – if there’s rust, dirt, or grime on it, you have to remove it before you start painting. Then, after using a special steel cleaner, ensure you dry it properly to prevent water drops from forming under the paint.
Afterward, you’ll need to apply a primer to the surface of the stainless steel item to make the paint stick better. Finally, after letting the primer dry thoroughly, you can paint the item.
Although you can paint stainless steel, we recommend that you don’t because it needs oxygen to form the protective layer that prevents rust. In addition, painting it will make it difficult for chromium and oxygen to collide, thereby defeating the purpose of chromium’s presence in stainless steel.
Can You Weld Stainless Steel?
When welding a material, it’s important to note that you’ll be applying a lot of heat to melt it down and make it pliable. You can weld any material, and that includes stainless steel. However, the process is usually rigorous, more so because of stainless steel’s unique characteristics. You need to get many factors right to weld it successfully.
Heating and cooling are different for stainless steel than other materials, and the same goes for the filler material you’ll use for the process. There are numerous types of stainless steel – it’s an alloy, after all, and each type has specific filler requirements you must get right.
If you apply too much heat to stainless steel, it can warp or get distorted during its cooling stage. As such, you’ll be unable to control the shape you desire. That’s why it’s important to regulate the heat for the material you’re working on.
Additionally, stainless steel is renowned for its smooth and shiny surface. So, to maintain this characteristic, you’ll have to take extra caution for every step involved in the welding process. That includes start to finish!
Stainless steel also has a high electrical resistance, low heat conductivity, expansion, and melting temperature. Once you know enough about these features, we’re not saying it’ll be a walk in the park, but it’s certainly an advantage.
How Do You Dispose of Stainless Steel?
Although stainless steel lacks hexavalent chromium IV, the chemical component that makes materials toxic, it should still be disposed of properly. Despite its lack of toxicity, it’s still metal, and metals aren’t biodegradable.
Instead, they’ll sit on landfills for centuries. It takes stainless steel centuries to decompose finally, and that’ll end up taking space in our landfills.
So, to make the disposal method much easier for you, we’ll highlight a few reliable and environmentally sensitive ways to dispose of your stainless steel items. Enjoy!
1. Sell it
Stainless steel comes in different types. Now, depending on the type you’re looking to dispose of, you could make good money off it. For instance, if it’s an item of high value and substantial weight, you could sell it to a metal scrapyard. Some of them will pay you a substantial amount if your stainless steel item meets up with the required minimum weight.
Another option will be to sell it to a thrift or antique store. For example, suppose you have some vintage cutlery you want to dispose of. Any antique store will be willing to take it off your hands for a reasonable fee. Thrift stores also buy valuable stainless steel items. These stores are usually easy to find, and if there’s none near your home, you can use the internet to find the closest location.
2. Donate it
Alternatively, you could also donate the stainless steel items you don’t need anymore. You can start by considering those around you – is there anyone that could need it? If there isn’t, then you can also consider the homeless people in your area.
Another option will be to donate it to charitable organizations. But of course, it has to be in the best and most presentable shape. If you need to clean it thoroughly to achieve that, then so be it! They’ll take these items off your hands, give them good use and then dispose of them finally through recycling.
3. Upcycle it
Upcycling is one of the environmentally sustainable ways to dispose of our waste. It’s essentially putting the material to use in a different aspect. For instance, if you have a stainless steel casserole dish that you don’t want anymore, you can turn it into a planter for your garden.
There are always creative upcycling methods – you just need to know the right places to look.
4. Recycle it
Finally, your last resort should be to recycle unwanted items. Again, there are several recycling options, and depending on the value of your stainless steel items, you could even make some money off them.
Finding a recycling center is no longer an issue, as we’ve provided several options for you, and they can easily be located at the click of the right button.
Conclusion
Since stainless steel is one of the most common building materials, it’s almost impossible not to own anything made from it. But, of course, no matter how durable those items are, they won’t last forever.
So, now that you know stainless steel is recyclable, upcyclable, and highly sustainable, we hope that you make informed choices with this information henceforth.
