What about recycled materials: stainless steel

We often get questions from our customers regarding our kitchen -and cookware products made with recycled materials. Are the performance properties the same for recycled non-stick cookware as for regular non-stick cookware? Do recycled products have the same composition as the virgin alternative? Are products made with recycled materials food grade approved? Why are recycled products more expensive than regular non-recycled products?

To give you a proper answer on above questions we generated a complete recycling process story of the main body materials used for kitchen -and cookware such as stainless steel, aluminium and plastics. from collecting, to washing, to shredding and melting. Let’s dive into the world of recycling.

Recycled stainless steel cookware: environmentally conscious and extremely durable 

Recycled stainless steel cookware is a sustainable choice for the environmentally conscious, modern kitchen. BergHOFF recycled stainless steel cookware is durable and guarantees a long lifespan. Thanks to the timeless design, these pans will be loved for years to come.

Recycled stainless steel cookware offers the elevated experience of cooking with high-grade, durable stainless steel that minimizes waste and fits beautifully in the modern and sustainable kitchen.

Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and can be reused again and again without loss of quality and performance compared to virgin stainless steel (SDG 12*: Responsible consumption and production).

The recycling process

The recycling of stainless steel requires specialised expertise and sophisticated machinery.

Once collected from your local recycling facility, all types of stainless steel scrap are fed into a large shredder which breaks it down into smaller pieces. Using chemical analysis and physical processes, these smaller pieces are then sorted by type before being packed and loaded into containers for shipment.

The loaded containers are sent to stainless steel mills where they are melted down into valuable raw elements that are collected, processed, and sold for reuse.

The above processes also mix pre-consumer scrap (left-overs from production) and post-consumer scrap (scrap from end-of-life consumer products).

Monitoring and testing

Since recycled and virgin stainless steel have the same quality and characteristics, the recycled stainless steel, produced from these 100% recycled elements, is monitored in the same way as virgin stainless steel for both production as food grade approval (item is tested according to the most stringent European standards for food contact materials and toxic substances).

Cost of recycled stainless steel kitchen- and cookware

Due to the complex recycling system, the current cost of using recycled materials is higher than virgin materials. This difference in cost will mostly disappear in the future as collection, sorting and recycling become more efficient and virgin materials become scarcer. However, the advantage of using recycled materials over virgin materials is that they do not need to be mined and therefore use less of our earth's resources.

Read here about recycled aluminium and recycled plastics.

* BergHOFF Worldwide is dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet and our stakeholders without compromising on quality or performance. By integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our company strategy, we strive to embed sustainability into our mission, vision, product development, and packaging. More information about our commitment to sustainability and the integration of the SDGs can be found here: blogpost BergHOFF Worldwide x Charter of Sustainable Entrepreneurship of Voka Limburg. General information about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can be found here: https://sdgs.un.org/goals.