SSAB, Greenbrier and Alter Trading Launch Closed-Loop Steel Recycling Project in the U.S.

SSAB Americas, The Greenbrier Companies and Alter Trading have partnered on a closed-loop steel recycling initiative in the United States that links recycled scrap processing, low-emissions steel production and railcar manufacturing into a single supply chain.

The project is anchored at SSAB’s Montpelier, Iowa operations, where recycled metals and fossil-free energy are used to produce SSAB Zero™, a steel grade designed to carry near-zero fossil carbon emissions. Material from SSAB is first routed through a cut-to-length facility in St. Paul before being supplied to Greenbrier for fabrication into gondola railcars for Alter Trading.

Once deployed, the railcars will be used by Alter Trading to transport recycled metals back into SSAB’s Iowa facility, completing a circular flow of scrap and steel production within the same industrial network.

SSAB Americas operates steelmaking assets across North America with a focus on fossil-free production technologies and recycled feedstock integration. Greenbrier is a major railcar manufacturer serving freight and logistics markets, while Alter Trading runs scrap metal collection and processing operations across the U.S. Midwest.

The initiative is structured to demonstrate whether industrial steel production can operate within a traceable, closed-loop system without relying on carbon offsets, using physical logistics and documented material flows instead.

“This effort demonstrates the performance of near-zero emissions steel in demanding industrial applications,” said Tom Cox, President of SSAB Americas. He added that circular economy models depend on consistent material supply integrated into existing industrial logistics systems.

The companies said the project also includes a communications rollout through 2026, with planned social media content documenting each stage of the cycle, from steel production and railcar fabrication to scrap return and reuse.

Market participants have increasingly explored closed-loop models in steel and heavy industry as pressure builds to reduce lifecycle emissions and improve scrap utilization efficiency. The approach reflects broader efforts to align material sourcing with decarbonization targets in hard-to-abate sectors such as freight transport and steelmaking.

Source: SSAB

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The initiative tests an industrial-scale circular steel model linking rail logistics and scrap recovery directly into low-emissions steel production.