Italy recycled 73.6% of the steel it consumed in 2013

(ANSA) - Rome, May 16 - Italy recycled 73.6% the amount of steel it consumed in 2013 for a total of 320,231 tons, the recycling non-profit Ricrea (recreate) said Friday.
    The weight of the steel saved was equivalent to 23 aircraft carriers the size of the Italian navy's Giuseppe Garibaldi.
    Saving steel rubbish like food tins, aerosol cans, industrial drums and crown caps spared the use of 608,439 tons of iron, 192,138 tons of carbon and 573,213 tons of CO2, the group calculated. Packaging waste collected amounted to 368,575 tons, equal to the weight of about 4,600 railway locomotives.
    As of 2013, recycling had expanded to reach 80% of Italian residents.
    Geographically, the greatest steel recycling gains were seen in central and southern Italy, up 21.7% and 17.5% respectively.
    Steel is the most recycled material in Europe, as it is easy to separate from other refuse and is 100% recyclable for an unlimited number of times.