Close-up of a female Stena Recycling employee in hi-vis protective gear, standing in front of a pile with metal scrap

News & Insights

Consumers positive to products made from recycled materials

Working at Stena Metall

Stena Recycling

100 billion tons of virgin raw material are extracted globally per year. The material consumption is expected to double in the next 40 years. A survey shows that consumers would appreciate if more products were made from recycled materials. Emmi Karell, key account manager at Stena Recycling Finland, explains how manufacturers can be more circular.

“My passion is to help companies implement a circular approach to their business. Waste management is not their core business. They’re often surprised to learn that most materials can be 100 percent recycled,” says Emmi Karell.

Circular Voice is a survey conducted by Stena Recycling including 5,000 respondents in the Nordic countries and Poland. It shows that there is a market demand for more sustainable products. Eight out of ten consumers want to buy products that contain more recycled materials. The European Commission estimates that 12 percent of the material resources used in the EU come from recycled products and materials. The transition to a circular economy has just started.

The circular voice survey 2023

“Often people believe recycled materials or products made of recycled material are more expensive, but it’s the opposite. The price can be 50 percent lower than using virgin raw material. Circularity gives both an environmental and a financial gain,” says Emmi Karell.

A female Stena Recycling employee in hi-vis protective gear, standing in front of a pile with metal scrap, holding a piece from a washing machine.

Key account manager specializing in metals

In Finland, Stena Recycling has 35 recycling facilities, handling all kinds of materials, including metals, paper, and plastic.

“My specialty is metals, and my customers are for example hardware stores, machine shops, repair and maintenance shops, infrastructure companies and municipalities. Once the metal waste has been collected, we sort it and then refine it into raw materials that can be delivered back to the industry for reuse in production. Scrap metal can have many different qualities and our aim is to develop recycling methods that provide the best possible end quality. If the quality is high, it is easier for the industry to reuse the material in the production of new products.”

Stena Recycling is part of the Stena Metall Group, which is present in nine countries, but the trading of metals is done on a global market.

A female Stena Recycling employee in hi-vis protective gear, standing in front of a pile with metal scrap, holding round pieces of metal scrap.

“Our teamwork is very strong, both on a local and a global level, which increases our chances of meeting our customers’ needs as quickly as possible and finding the right match between inbound and outbound sales. There is always some specialist to ask. We help each other, you’re never alone. The atmosphere is very non-bureaucratic and encouraging. For example, I could ask the Managing Director of Stena Recycling Finland for advice,” says Emmi Karell.

Every year 6 million tons of waste is handled within the Stena Metall Group.

“The more companies that become circular, the more natural resources we save. Together we do good for the eco system, that is the best aspect of my job as a key account manager,” concludes Emmi Karell.