7 Steel Recycling: Driving Circularity, Securing Supply

At 7 Steel UK, recycling is at the core of our circular steel production model. As the first and most vital step in our value chain, our recycling operations ensure that scrap metal is recovered, processed, and reintroduced into steelmaking, minimising waste, reducing emissions, and preserving natural resources.

We only recycle scrap sourced from merchants and industry across the UK. Once processed, we supply the ferrous scrap directly to 7 Steel UK’s Melt Shop in Cardiff where we melt it down in our Electric Arc Furnace and roll it into finished product in our hot rolling mills.

The finished product is used in large construction projects throughout the UK, such as Hinckley Point.

150,000 tonnes of scrap metal recycled every year

By recycling scrap metal we avoid waste to landfill and ensure that we retain the value of scrap, prevent natural resource depletion and protect our planet. We recycle around 150,000 tonnes every year.

7 Steel UK Recycling is proud to receive scrap from a wide range of suppliers. These include local merchants, trades and industrial sites. We also source from local or national construction, demolition and strip-out projects as well as waste companies and municipal sites.

A National Footprint

Our recycling network spans four strategically located scrap yards across the UK—in Cardiff, Avonmouth, Rotherham and Sunderland. These locations are purposefully positioned to serve both regional suppliers and national construction, demolition, and industrial partners. Each site is fully equipped to receive, sort, and process a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap grades, contributing to the consistent supply of raw material for our steelmaking operations

State-of-the-Art Shredding Technology

In July 2024, we commissioned a state-of-the-art scrap shredder at our Cardiff facility, a significant investment in innovation and circularity. This advanced plant enables us to recover more material from mixed and complex waste streams, improving scrap quality and reducing contamination before it enters the Electric Arc Furnace. The result is cleaner steel production, lower emissions, and a more efficient recycling loop.

Strengthening Supply Chain Resilience

As global supply chains become increasingly volatile, localised recycling capability has never been more important. By investing in domestic infrastructure and processing technology, 7 Steel UK is reinforcing the resilience of the UK’s steel supply reducing dependence on imported materials and ensuring a secure, sustainable source of feedstock for the future.