OREANDA-NEWS. Gerdau, the leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world, increased the reuse level of its by-products generated in Brazil to approximately 80% in 2012. These materials are a sustainable alternative for the production process in the civil construction, cement and ceramic industries that use Gerdau’s by-products such as for building roads, paving, railroad ballast, foundries, production of ferro-alloy, manufacturing cement and ceramics, among other applications.

The purchase of by-products generated from Gerdau's steel production contributes to savings of 30 to 50% in the use of raw materials for the industries that purchase these by-products, while also reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. As a way to improve the processes that enable the recycling of the materials, Gerdau has invested in expansion and by-products preparation projects. Furthermore, when using its own byproducts, the Company saved this year about BRL 5 million in raw materials for its own building projects.

Gerdau is a leading producer of long steel in the Americas and one of the largest suppliers of special steel in the world. With over 45,000 employees, it has industrial operations in 14 countries - in the Americas, Europe and Asia - which together represent an installed capacity of over 25 million metric tons of steel per year. It is the largest recycler in Latin America and around the world it transforms, each year, millions of metric tons of scrap into steel, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable development in the regions where it operates. With more than 140,000 shareholders, the Company is listed on the stock exchanges of Sao Paulo, New York and Madrid.