Sate-of-the-art technologies for recycling of secondary resources as well as various recycling initiatives enable efficient use of secondary resources. In 2024, the share of Fe-containing recyclable materials processed by NLMK Group businesses, excluding mining waste, totalled 100%.
Over the past 20 years, specific waste generation across the Group as a whole has decreased by a factor of 7 while production has doubled.
Secondary resource recycling across NLMK Group, %
NLMK Group operates its own scrap collection and processing facilities that advance the circular economy vision. It recycles scrap, captured dust, and sludges. Construction materials are made from such by-products as slag, chalk crushed concrete, etc.
19% of steel produced by NLMK Group consists of recycled materials
2025
Conversion of recycled wood to biocoal
Processing of recycled wood into biocoal to use it in captive ferrosilicon production. Annual processing capacity is approximately 10,000 tonnes.
2025
Thermal destruction of secondary materials at Altai Koks
Recycling of chemical secondary materials from the recovery shop. In 2025, over 500 tonnes of recyclable materials were processed.
2025
Ore spills processing at Stoilensky
Spills are used as raw materials to strengthen landscaping items and site roads and are returned to the beneficiation plant.
2024
Cleaning soil after scrap preparation at NLMK EcoTech
Mechanical soil treatment to remove impurities and magnetic separation of iron-bearing elements. Soil reclamation. Annual processing capacity of up to 70,000 tonnes.
2023
Dewatering of iron-containing sludge with geotextile tubes
In 2023, total processing of sludge amounted to 53,000 tonnes, and an additional 200,000 tonnes of previously accumulated sludge are to be processed in 2024–2025
2022
Processing of crushed concrete and reinforced concrete
Approximately 50,000 tonnes is processed into of construction-quality gravel and then marketed
2022
Molding sand regeneration
25,000 tonnes of molding sand is processed and recycled into production
2024
Stoilensky. Utilizing ore spills in the Sintering Plant of NLMK Lipetsk
Avoiding the need to store the spills
2024
Stoilensky. Recovery of the worked out clay pit
Recovery of 21 ha of land
2019-2020
Slag dump processing
350
kt
OF SCRAP WAS RECYCLED INTO PRODUCTION
800
kt
OF SLUDGE WAS RECYCLED INTO PRODUCTION
2019
Metallurgical briquette production
- Production of blast furnace charge from industrial waste (BF shops and Coke Plant)
- Full recycling of all newly generated ferrum-containing waste
450
kt
OF SECONDARY RESOURCES RECYCLED INTO PRODUCTION
2017
Crusher for wooden waste
- Use of generated wood chips in the ferroalloy shop process
- No purchasing wood for the production of chips
100%
PROCESSING OF WOODEN WASTE WITH METALLIC INCLUSIONS
2020
Processing and marketing of used refractories
Over 150,000 tonnes of spent refractories are processed to recover around 20% of scrap
NLMK Group has developed a secondary raw material recycling programme, which encompasses 26 projects under implementation and a further 20 projects being prepared aimed at boosting the use of secondary raw materials. In addition to the environmental benefits, these projects also yield economic returns. The Group’s (Russian sites) economic effect from the recycling projects in 2025 stood at RUB 711 m (+13% yoy) with 302,000 tonnes of materials engaged.
