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Recycled Structural Steel

Electric-arc-furnace structural steel made from scrap — 75% lower embodied carbon than virgin blast-furnace steel.

Recycled Structural Steel in residential building applications
Recycled Structural Steel — a natural material we specify on every Earth Bound Homes project

Toxicity Screening — All Clear

This material screens clear across all seven independent toxicology authorities we use on every project.

LBC Red List
Not Listed
Prop 65
Not Listed
IARC
Not Listed
NTP RoC
Not Listed
GSPI
Not Listed
REACH SVHC
Not Listed
TSCA
Not Listed

Material Type

Electric-Arc-Furnace Recycled Steel

Material Description

Steel is the only major construction material with a 100% closed-loop recycling stream — every steel beam can be melted and re-rolled indefinitely without quality loss. Electric-arc-furnace (EAF) steel uses scrap as its feedstock and electric heat (which can be renewable-powered) rather than coal-fired blast furnaces. The result is a structural product with embodied carbon roughly 75% lower than virgin steel, identical structural performance, and end-of-life recyclability that closes the loop again. EBH specifies minimum 90% recycled content on all structural steel and detailing accessories where the spec is achievable — typical North American EAF steel hits 95-98%.

Composition & Origin

Composition and origin of recycled steel
Iron + carbon (<2%) + alloying elements · electric-arc-furnace melted from steel scrap · ~95% recycled content typical

Health Profile — All Endpoints Clear

Severity scored 0–10 against the same 10 hazard endpoints we use for the chemical families on the avoid list. Every score is 1–2 — essentially no signal across every endpoint.

Cancer
1/10
Endocrine
1/10
Reproductive
1/10
Developmental
1/10
Neurological
1/10
Respiratory
2/10
Cardiovascular
1/10
Liver/Kidney
1/10
Skin
1/10
Immune
1/10

Common Forms & Brands

Why We Use It

Where It Performs Best

Building Applications for Recycled Structural Steel

Listed alphabetically. Where in a home this material earns its keep.

Specifying a project? Drop the manufacturer's SDS into our SDS Toxic Chemical Screener to verify any specific product you're considering screens clear on all seven databases.